Twilight Breaking Dawn: Twins
by MagentaMadi
Summary: What if Bella had twins instead of just Renesmee? This is my idea of that story. The sequel is out! I repeat, The sequel is out!
1. Chapter 1

A/N Have you ever wondered what it would be like if Bella had had twins? Well my idea of that story starts the day Edward hears the Baby's thoughts. Oh and I don't own Twilight. The fabulous Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight.  
I lay on the couch with Edward sitting on the floor by my head. Jacob was sitting in a chair by the couch, he looked like he was about to fall asleep.

"Did you say something?" Edward asked, looking at me. I was confused.

"Me?" I asked. " I didn't say anything." Edward leaned closer to me.  
"What are you thinking about right now?"

"Nothing. What's going on?" I was honestly puzzled.

"What were you thinking about a minute ago?"

"Just Esme's island. And feathers,"

"Say something else," Edward whispered

"Like what? Edward, what's going on?" I asked. Edward moved closer and put his hands on either side of my stomach. Rosalie gasped.

"The f-" He swallowed. "They… the babies like the sound of your voice."

 _"Holy crow, you can hear him!"_ I shouted. Then I winced. Edward gently rubbed the spot where the baby kicked me.

"Shh," he murmured. "You startled them."

I was amazed. I patted the side of my stomach.

"Sorry, baby." I said. And then something clicked… Edward had said them.  
"Wait… did you just say them?" I asked.  
"Yes. I hear two." He smiled as he said this. And so did I.  
"Twins?" I was surprised, and amazed.  
"Yes." He spoke with certainty. He was listening to them now, he had his head tilted toward my stomach.  
"What're they thinking now?" I demanded eagerly.

"They're…" He paused and looked up into my eyes. His eyes were filled with awe. "They're _happy_ ," He said in an incredulous voice. My breath caught. I adored my babies already. Tears started to roll silently down my face and over my smiling lips.

"Of course you're happy, pretty babies, of course you are," I crooned, rubbing my stomach while tears still ran down my face. "How could you not be, all safe and warm and loved? I love you both so much, of course you're happy."

"What are you going to name them?" Edward asked curiously.  
I blushed. " Well, I sort of already had a few names picked out." I answered. "For a boy I chose EJ."  
"EJ?" "Your father's name was Edward, too."  
"Yes it was. What-?" He paused and then said, "Hmm."  
"What?"  
"They like my voice, too."  
"Of course they do." My tone was almost gloating now. "You have the most beautiful voice in the universe. Who wouldn't love it?"  
"Do you have any girl names?" Rosalie asked from behind me.  
"I kicked a few things around. I played around with Rosalie and alice-" I paused to smile at Rosalie. "And Renee and Esme. I was thinking Rosalace and Ruh- _nez_ -may."  
"Ruhnezmay and Rosalace?"  
"R-e-n-e-s-m-e-e and R-o-s-a-l-a-c-e. Too weird?"  
"No, they're both beautiful," Rosalie assured me. Her head was right next to mine. "And they're one of a kind, so that fits."  
Edward was staring off into space, his face blank as he listened.  
"What?" I asked. "What are they thinking now?"  
He didn't answer, and then he laid his ear tenderly against my belly.  
"They love you," Edward whispered, sounding dazed. "They absolutely _adore_ you." I was so happy. Not only was I going to have Edward's babies, but now I was sure he loved them too.  
Jacob stood up. All of our heads snapped up.  
"Ahh," Edward choked.  
Jacob was trembling. Edward darted to a small end table, got something out of the drawer, and tossed it to Jacob. Jacob caught the object.  
"Go, Jacob. Get away from here." He didn't say it harshly, though that's how those words were supposed to be said I'm sure.  
Jacob left. We continued our happy little family gathering.

A/N Sorry if this chapter was short. This is my first story, and I know Twilight is kind of in the past, but I do not care :)


	2. Chapter 2

A/N I don't own Twilight, Stephenie Meyer does.  
Bella's POV

I woke up on the couch with Rose. We made plans to deliver my babies as soon as Carlisle got back. Edward told everyone about what we discovered. I was happy to know that I would be able to hold the twins soon.  
I was really thirsty when I woke up. I had just started drinking when Edward walked in.  
"Bella, love, I thought you were sleeping," Edward said. "I'm sorry, I wouldn't have left."  
"Don't worry. I just got so thirsty-it woke me up. It's a good thing Carlisle is bringing more. Both of them will need it when they get out of me."  
"True. That's a good point."  
"I wonder if they'll want anything else ," I mused.  
"I suppose we'll find out."  
Jacob walked through the door.  
Alice said, "Finally," and I looked at him and smiled. Then I remembered what Leah said this afternoon. I was desperately trying not to cry.  
"Hey, Bells," He said quickly. "How ya doing?"  
"I'm fine," I said.  
"Big day today, huh? Lots of new stuff."  
"You don't have to do that, Jacob."  
"Don't know what you're talking about," He said. He came over and sat on the arm of the sofa by my head.  
"I'm _so_ s-" I started to say. Jacob pinched my lips between his thumb and index finger.  
"Jake," I mumbled, trying to pull his hand away.  
He shook his head. "You can talk when you're not being stupid."  
"Fine, I won't say it," I mumbled. He pulled his hand away.  
"Sorry!" I finished quickly, and then I grinned.  
He rolled his eyes and then smiled back at me.  
"So," I asked, trying to be casual. "How was your day?"  
"Great. Went for a drive. Hung out in the park."  
"Sounds nice."  
"Sure, sure."  
I made a face "Rose?" I asked.  
She chuckled. "Again?"  
"I think I've drunk two gallons in the last hour," I explained.  
Edward and Joob moved out of the way while Rosalie came to take me to the bathroom.  
"Can I walk?" I asked. "My legs are so stiff."  
"Are you sure?" Edward asked.  
"Rose'll catch me if I trip over my feet. Which could happen pretty easily, since I can't see them."  
Rosalie sat me carefully on my feet, keeping her hands right at my shoulders. I stretched my arms out in front of me, wincing a little.  
"That feels good," I sighed. "Ugh, but I'm huge."  
"One more day," I said, and patted my stomach.  
"All righty, then. Whoops-oh, no!" The cup I had left on the sofa tumbled to one side, and I lurched toward the accident reflexively. Inside me something yanked in the opposite direction.  
Ripping. Breaking. Agony.

A/N So I'm not very good at making long chapters. I realize that now. I will try harder now.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N Again, I don't own Twilight, Stephanie Meyer does.

The twins were delivered. They ended up being both girls. Renesmee and Rosalace. Renesmee had bronze curly hair, and chocolate brown eyes. Rosalace had the same color hair as her mother, her hair was straight and her eyes were green.

Rosalace's POV I was carried into a room by who I believe was my aunt Alice. My sister was in aunt Rosalie's arms, on the couch. My sister and I were very similar the only differences were; our hair, our eyes, and she had vampire senses, I did not. Aunt Alice put me into Aunt Rosalie's other arm, Renesmee and I touched hands. _"Where are mommy and daddy?"_ She asked me _"I don't know."_ I answered. Renesmee decided to ask Rosalie. Renesmee put her hand on Rosalie's cheek and asked the same question.  
Aunt Rosalie gasped. "Your daddy is busy right now." I was pretty sure she was lying.

Two days later everyone, except for Aunt Rose and Jacob (who never left Renesmee alone for some reason), went upstairs. Renesmee and I were sitting on the floor, wondering what was happening. After a while, Jacob ran outside.  
 _"Where is he going?"_ I asked my sister. Rosalie picked us up.  
 _"I don't know,"_ Renesmee answered. Just then, Jacob ran back in. I was wondering what was going on, so I asked Rosalie.  
 _"What's going on?"_  
"You're about to meet your mommy," Rosalie answered, with a smile. Everyone formed a line in front of us, but they faced the other way. Jacob suddenly stood in our view. Renesmee suddenly looked around Jacob, I decided to rest my head on hers so I could look too. There I saw her, she looked like my mother, but she was paler and she looked even more beautiful than before. She looked right back at us.  
 _"Is that, mommy?"_ I asked my sister.  
 _"I don't know, Lace,"_ She answered. Lace was my nickname just because Rose was already taken.

"I was out just two days?" The beautiful woman gasped. Her voice was absolutely beautiful. Renesmee and I were both reaching toward this woman, then my sister touched aunt Rose's throat.

"Yes, that's her." Aunt Rose murmured. Renesmee placed her hand on mine and told me that this was our mother. We both looked back at her, and at the same time, we smiled. Our mother stepped forward, then everybody else (except for aunt Alice) stepped in front of her again, blocking our view. I let out a sigh and rolled my eyes, just as aunt Rose moved backward. I was very annoyed, because this was our mother, she wasn't going to hurt us. "Oh, give her some credit," Aunt Alice chided them. "She wasn't going to do anything. You'd want a closer look, too." I had no idea about that first part, but I was happy that she agreed with me. Then I heard my mother speak again, "I'm okay," She promised. "Keep close, though, just in case." Both my sister and I, were getting impatient, we both started to reach for our mother. "Jazz, Em, let us through. Bella's got this." My father said. I was still very annoyed with the fact that I had to wait.  
"Edward, the risk-," Uncle Jasper said. My response to that was the same as my father's.  
"Minimal. Listen, Jasper- on the hunt she caught the scent of some hikers who were in the wrong place at the wrong time…." Someone sucked in a shocked breath.  
"Edward!" My grandpa Carlisle chastened. "How could you be so irresponsible?"  
"I know, Carlisle, I know. It was just plain stupid. I should have taken the time to make sure we were in a safe zone before I set her loose."  
"Edward," I heard my mother mumble.  
"He's absolutely right to rebuke me, Bella," Our father said. "I made a huge mistake. The fact that you are stronger than anyone I've ever known doesn't change that."  
"Tasteful joke, Edward." My aunt Alice said.  
"I wasn't making a joke. I was explaining to Jasper why I know Bella can handle this. It's not my fault everyone jumped to conclusions."  
"Wait," My uncle Jasper gasped. "She didn't hunt the humans?"  
"She started to," My father said. "She was entirely focused on the hunt."  
"What happened?" My grandpa interjected.  
"She heard me behind her and reacted defensively. As soon as my pursuit broke into her concentration, she snapped right out of it. I've never seen anything to equal her. She realized at once what was happening, and then … _she held her breath and ran away."_  
"Whoa," My uncle Emmett murmured. "Seriously?"  
"He's not telling it right," My mother murmured. "He left out the part where I growled at him."  
"Did ya get in a couple of good swipes?" Uncle Emmett asked eagerly.  
"No! Of course not."  
"No, not really? You really didn't attack him?" "Emmett!" My mother protested.  
"Aw, what a waste," Uncle Emmett groaned. "And here you're probably the one person who could take him-since he can't get in your head to cheat-and you had a perfect excuse, too." He sighed. "I've been _dying_ to see how he'd do without that advantage."  
She glared at him. "I would never."  
"You see what I mean." My father said.  
"It's not natural," Uncle Jasper muttered.  
"She could have turned on you-she's only hours old!" My grandma scolded. "Oh, we should have gone with you."  
Ness and I (Ness is my sister) were still staring at our mother, both of us were reaching for her. She was staring too, her hand lifted to mimic ours.  
"Edward," She said, leaning around uncle Jasper. "Please?"  
"Jazz, this isn't anything you've seen before," Aunt Alice said quietly. "Trust me." Uncle Jasper moved out of the way, but put one hand on our mother's shoulder. They walked slowly forward. Ness and I were getting very impatient. Then Ness wailed. Everyone was here in a second, patting and trying to soothe her. My head was rested on my hands, because I knew she was perfectly fine. I touched the back of her head with my hand.  
 _"Ness, why are you such a crybaby?"_ I asked her. It was true, she did that alot.  
"What's the matter? Is she hurt? What happened?" Jacob asked.

Jacob was such a worrywort. The thing is he only cares about Renesmee, he couldn't care less what happens to me. Then Jacob reached for Ness, I was not willing to surrender her that easy. This is usually how things went. I immediately wrapped my arms around her and glared at Jacob. We didn't get along well. Then aunt Rose handed her to Jacob.  
"No, she's fine," My aunt Rose reassured him.

Taking my sister from me was a bad idea on their part, because I got very unhappy when I didn't get my way. I was so upset that I let out an enraged wail. That was new. Everyone was staring at me now. I closed my eyes, they had this coming. "Rose, give me Lacey," My father said calmly. That was probably because he saw the reason behind the wail. Aunt Rose gave me to him. I placed my hand on his cheek.  
 _"I have my priorities, Ness, then mommy,"_ He smiled at me.  
"What is it?" Uncle Jasper asked. I twisted around to to see everyone staring at us.  
"Lace wants Renesmee, and they both want Bella," I rested my head on my hands again, and started thinking _Are you going to keep me waiting?_ This question was for my dad. I knew he heard me. "They want me?" My mother whispered. My father looked at Jacob. "She could hold Lacey first, if that would be better for you." Jacob nodded.

Suddenly I was being put into my mother's arms. I put my hand on her cheek, _"Hi, mommy,"_ I greeted her. She gasped, I smiled.  
"What…?" She choked.  
"She spoke to you," My father said.  
"Spoke to me?"  
"Yes, she has gift. She is also very persuasive." They had a conversation after that but I wasn't listening. I was too busy admiring my mother's face. Then Ness was there, in her other arm. The only problem was that Jacob's arm as right in my face. I gave him a look but he didn't see. I smacked his arm, he didn't care. I finally got so irritated that I bit his arm. He didn't go away. I was about to rip his head off.  
"Patience, Lacey," My father said. Everyone looked at him. "Nothing,"

Ness showed mom something and another conversation started, but yet again I wasn't listening.  
"Haven't we experimented enough for one day?" Jacob asked. "Okay, Bella's doing great, but let's not push it." My mother glared at him.  
"What is your _problem_ , Jacob?" She demanded. Suddenly I was sandwiched between My mom, and Jacob. _"TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT!"_ I shouted, in my head.  
My father hissed at Jacob. "Just because I understand, it doesn't mean I won't throw you out, Jacob. Bella's doing extraordinarily well. Don't ruin the moment for her."  
"I'll help him toss you, dog," Aunt Rose promised. "I owe you a good kick in the gut." So all three of us were on the same page.  
 _"No!"_ My mother gasped, I didn't know why. In that same second I was out of my mother's arms and so was Ness. People were speaking but I wasn't listening. Jacob backed out the front door as my mother walked towards him. They were talking, but I was just smiling at the fact that she might rip his head off for me. Then I realized that my mom just found out Renesmee's nickname. She lunged for his throat.

A/N Long chapter? I got really bored before I finished, so I checked my story and saw that I had a review. That review encouraged me to finish this chapter.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N get used to Lace's POV because that's how I'm going to write most of this story. If you have a problem with that, just let me know. I do not own Twilight Stephenie Meyer does :)

All four of us were outside, Ness, Rose, Jacob, and myself. I was very unhappy with this, because I was in aunt Rose's arms, and Ness was in Jacob's. I was also upset that he still had his head. I think my mom and I were on the same page, we both wanted to destroy Jacob. Then it was time for us to be measured. I sighed as we walked into the house, where my mother was.  
"Must be six," Daddy said.  
"So?" Mommy said. She looked at us and I stared straight back at her.  
"Time to measure Ness-er, Renesmee and Lacey," Grandpa explained.  
"Oh. You do this every day?" She asked. I wish.  
"Four times a day," Grandpa corrected.  
"Four times? Every day? _Why_?" I didn't hear anyone answer her.

Grandpa measured Ness, and he was about to measure me when I spoke.  
"Could you not?" I said in an irritated voice. I just spoke. Oh my gosh I just spoke. Everyone looked at me.  
"Sorry," I said, looking at the floor.

After a conversation about stuff like, our growth, and my _intelligence_ , Ness and I both wanted to spend some quality time with mom. I raised my hand.  
"Yes, Lacey," Daddy said.  
"Renesmee and I both want to come over there," I said in a clear voice. Aunt Rose looked at my mom.  
"How are you?" She asked.  
"Worried," She admitted.  
"We all are. But that's not what I meant."  
"I'm in control," She promised.

We were both taken over to our mother. Ness showed her something that I could not see, while I compared my hair to hers. I put my had on her cheek.  
 _"Our hair is the same color,"_ I told her. Our hair was the exact same color. Then I'm pretty sure Ness showed her the fact that she _liked_ Jacob.  
"Oh, wonderful," She groaned. "Perfect."  
"It's just because he tastes better than the rest of us," My father said.  
"I told you she likes me, too," Jacob teased.  
"Don't worry," I said to my parents, while glaring at Jacob. "I don't like him either."

Ness touched my face. _"I still like him though,"_ She told me.  
"I know, you can have your dog for as long as you want him," I told her. "But I'm more of a cat person." Everyone laughed at that. After a while both me and Ness fell asleep.

When we woke up our parents were gone so we had some sister time. We started playing our version of patty cake. It was just like normal patty cake, except for the fact that we always had a conversation at the same time.

A/N This little conversation is a pattern from Lace to Ness, So it goes Lace, Ness, Lace, Ness, you get the idea.

 _"Where do you think mom is?"_ I asked.  
 _"Don't know,"_ She said.  
 _"I want to see her again,"  
"Me too,"  
"What's your favorite color?"  
"I don't know, pink maybe,"  
"I like purple,"  
_ _"Purple's cool,"  
_ _"What's your favorite thing about our gift?"  
_ _"Talking to you,"  
_ _"Aww, Ness,"_

Then our mother walked through the doorway and picked Ness up and my father picked me up. I was definitely a daddy's girl. Ness patted mom's cheek. She was probably just as hungry as I was, because my father carried me into the kitchen and got our cups ready. I was already drinking when we walked back into the room.

"What was he so upset about?" Daddy asked aunt Rose. I had no idea what they were talking about. Then my mom handed Ness to aunt Rose so that Ness could eat. They had a short conversation that I wasn't really listening to, then aunt Alice was on her feet.

"What is he _doing?_ What is that _dog_ doing that has erased my schedule for the entire day? I can't see _anything_! No!" She looked at my mom. "Look at you! You _need_ me to show you how to use your closet."

My father snarled, "He talked to Charlie. He thinks Charlie is following after him. Coming here. Today." Charlie?

Alice ran out the back door.

"He told Charlie?" My mom gasped. "But-doesn't he understand? How could he do that?" What? "No!"

"Jacob's on his way in now." My father said.

Jacob came through the door shaking his wet hair like a dog, flipping droplets on the carpet and the couch where they made little round gray spots on the white.

"Hey, guys," he greeted us, grinning. It was perfectly silent.

Leah and Seth slipped in behind him.

"Rose," My mother said, holding her arms out. Ness and I were both handed to our mother.

"Charlie'll be here soon," Jacob said to our mother casually. "Just a heads-up. I assume Alice is getting you sunglasses or something?"

"You assume _way_ too much," Mom spit through her teeth. "What. Have. You. _Done?"_

Jacob's smile wavered, but he was still too wound up to answer seriously. "Blondie and Emmett woke me up this morning going on and on about you all moving cross-country. Like I could let you leave. Charlie was the biggest issue there, right? Well, problem solved."

"Do you even _realize_ what you've done? The danger you've put him in?"

He snorted. "I didn't put him in danger. Except from you. But you've got some kind of supernatural self-control, right? Not as good as mind reading, if you ask me. Much less exciting."

Our father darted across the room to get in Jacob's face.

"That's just a _theory_ , mongrel," he snarled. "You think we should test it out on _Charlie?_ Did you consider the physical pain you're putting Bella through, even if she can resist? Or the emotional pain if she doesn't? I suppose what happens to Bella no longer concerns you!" He spit the last word.

Dad's words finally cut through Jacob's strangely electric mood. His mouth dropped into a frown. "Bella will be in pain?"

"Like you've shoved a white-hot branding iron down her throat!" Well that sounds painful.

"I didn't know that," Jacob whispered.

"Then perhaps you should have asked first," Dad growled back through his teeth.

"You would have stopped me."

"You _should_ have been stopped-"

"This isn't about me," Mom interrupted. "This is about Charlie, Jacob. How could you put him in danger this way? Do you realize it's death or vampire life for him now, too?"

"Relax, Bella. I didn't tell him anything you weren't planning to tell him."

"But he's coming here!"

"Yeah, that's the idea. Wasn't the whole 'let him make the wrong assumptions' thing your plan? I think I provided a very nice red herring, if I do say so myself."

"Say it straight, Jacob. I don't have the patience for this."

"I didn't tell him anything about you, Bella. Not really. I told him about _me_. Well, _show_ is probably a better verb."

"He phased in front of Charlie," Dad hissed.

Mom whispered, "You _what_?"

"He's brave. Brave as you are. Didn't pass out or throw up or anything. I gotta say, I was impressed. You should've seen his face when In started taking off my clothes, though. Priceless," Jacob chortled.

"You absolute _moron_! You could have given him a heart attack!"

"Charlie's fine. He's tough. If you'd give this just a minute, you'll see that I did you a favor here."

"You have half of that, Jacob." Mom said. "You have thirty seconds to tell me every single word before I give Renesmee to Rosalie and rip your miserable head off. Seth won't be able to stop me this time." YAY!

"Jeez, Bells. You didn't used to be so melodramatic. Is that a vampire thing?"

"Twenty-six seconds."

Jacob rolled his eyes and flopped into the nearest chair.

"So I knocked on Charlie's door this morning and asked him to come for a walk with me. He was confused, but when I told him it was about you and that you were back in town, he followed me out to the woods. I told him you weren't sick anymore, and that things were a little weird, but good. He was about to take off to see you, but I told him I had to show him something first. And then I phased." Jacob shrugged.

"I want every word, you monster." Mom said.

"Well, you said I only had thirty seconds-okay, okay." he said. "Lemme see . . . I phased back and got dressed, and then after he started breathing again, I said something like, 'Charlie, you don't live in the world you thought you lived in. The good news is, nothing has changed-except that now you know. Life'll go on the same way it always has. You can go right back to pretending that you don't believe any of this.'

"It took him a minute to get his head together, and then he wanted to know what was really going on with you, with the whole rare-disease thing. I told him that you _had_ been sick, but you were fine now-it was just that you'd had to change a little bit in the process of getting better. He wanted to know what I meant by 'change,' and I told him that you looked a lot more like Esme now than you looked like Renee."

Dad hissed and mom stared in horror.

"After a few minutes, he asked, real quietly, if you turned into an animal, too. And I said, 'She wishes she was that cool!'" Jacob chuckled.

Aunt Rose made a noise of disgust.

"I started to tell him more about werewolves, but I didn't even get the whole word out-Charlie cut me off and said he'd 'rather not know the specifics.' Then he asked if you'd known what you were getting yourself into when you married Edward, and I said, 'Sure, she's known all about this for years, since she first came to Forks.' He didn't like that very much. I let him rant till he got it out of his system. After he got calmed down, he just wanted two things. He wanted to see you, and I said it would be better if he gave me a head start to explain."

Mom inhaled deeply. "What was the other thing he wanted?"

Jacob smiled. "You'll like this. His main request is that he be told as little as possible about all of this. If it's not absolutely essential for him to know something, then keep it to yourself. Need to know, only."

"I can handle that part."

"Other than that, he'd just like to pretend things are normal." Jacob's smile  
turned smug.

"What did you tell him about Renesmee and Lacey?"

"Oh yeah. So I told him that you and Edward had inherited two new little mouths to feed." He glanced at Dad. "Their your orphaned ward—like Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson." Jacob snorted. "I didn't think you'd mind me lying. That's all part of the game, right?" Dad didn't respond in any way, so Jacob went on.  
"Charlie was way past being shocked at this point, but he did ask if you were adopting them. 'Like daughters? Like I'm sort of a grandfather?' were his exact  
words. I told him yes. 'Congrats, Gramps,' and all of that. He even smiled a little."

"But their changing so fast," Mom whispered.

"I told him that they were more special than all of us put together," Jacob said in a soft voice. He stood and walked right up to us, waving Leah and Seth off when they started to follow. Renesmee reached out to him, but mom hugged her more tightly.

"I told him, 'Trust me, you don't want to know about this. But if you can ignore all the strange parts, you're going to be amazed. She's the most wonderful person in the whole world.' And then I told him that if he could deal with that, you all would stick around for a while and he would have a chance to get to know her. But that if it was too much for him, you would leave. He said as long as no one forced too much information on him, he'd deal."  
Jacob stared at mom with half a smile, waiting.

"I'm not going to say thank you," she told him. "You're still putting Charlie at a huge  
risk."

"I am sorry about it hurting you. I didn't know it was like that. Bella, things are  
different with us now, but you'll always be my best friend, and I'll always love  
you. But I'll love you the right way now. There's finally a balance. We both have  
people we can't live without."

"Still friends?" He held out his hand.

"If I don't kill Charlie tonight, I'll consider forgiving you for this."

"When you don't kill Charlie tonight, you'll owe me huge."

Mom rolled her eyes.

He held out his other hand toward Renesmee, a request this time. "Can I?"

"I'm actually holding her so that my hands aren't free to kill you, Jacob. Maybe later." The one time I _want_ her to give Ness away.

Alice raced back through the door then, her hands full and her expression promising violence.

"You, you, and you," she snapped, glaring at the werewolves. "If you must stay, get over in the corner and commit to being there for a while. I need to see. Bella, you'd better give him Renesmee, too. You'll need your arms free, anyway, and give Lacey to Rosalie."

Jacob grinned in triumph.

"Take her," Mom whispered, sliding Renesmee into Jacob's arms.

He nodded, concern wrinkling his forehead. He gestured to the others, and they all went to the far corner of the room. Seth and Jake slouched on the floor at  
once, but Leah shook her head and pursed her lips.

"Am I allowed to leave?" she griped.

"Of course," Jake said.

"Stay east so you don't cross Charlie's path," Alice added.

Leah didn't look at Alice; she ducked out the back door and stomped into the bushes to phase.

Edward was back at mom's side, stroking her face. "You can do this. I know you can. I'll help you; we all will."

"If I didn't believe you could handle it, we'd disappear today. This very minute. But you can. And you'll be happier if you can have Charlie in your life."

Alice held out her hand. There was a small white box on her palm. "These will irritate your eyes—they won't hurt, but they'll cloud your vision. It's annoying.  
They also won't match your old color, but it's still better than bright red, right?" She flipped the contact box into the air and mom caught it.

"When did you—"

"Before you left on the honeymoon. I was prepared for several possible futures." mom nodded and opened the container. She took the little brown quarter-sphere and pressed it, concave side in, to her eye.

"I see what you mean," She murmured as she stuck the other one in.

"How do I look?"

Dad smiled. "Gorgeous. Of course—"

"Yes, yes, she always looks gorgeous," Alice finished his thought impatiently. "It's better than red, but that's the highest commendation I can give. Muddy brown. Your brown was much prettier. Keep in mind that those won't last forever—the venom in your eyes will dissolve them in a few hours. So if Charlie stays longer than that, you'll have to excuse yourself to replace them. Which is a good idea anyway, because humans need bathroom breaks." She shook her head. "Esme, give her a few pointers on acting human while I stock the powder room with contacts."

"How long do I have?"

"Charlie will be here in five minutes. Keep it simple."

Esme nodded once and went to take mom's hand. "The main thing is not to sit too still or move too fast," she told her.

"Sit down if he does," Emmett interjected. "Humans don't like to just stand there."

"Let your eyes wander every thirty seconds or so," Jasper added. "Humans don't stare at one thing for too long."

"Cross your legs for about five minutes, then switch to crossing your ankles for the next five," Rosalie said.

"And blink at least three times a minute," Emmett said. He frowned, then darted to where the television remote sat on the end table. He flipped the TV on to a college football game and nodded to himself.

"Move your hands, too. Brush your hair back or pretend to scratch something," Jasper said.

"I said Esme," Alice complained as she returned. "You'll overwhelm her."

"No, I think I got it all," Mom said. "Sit, look around, blink, fidget."

"Right," Esme approved. She hugged mom's shoulders.

Jasper frowned. "You'll be holding your breath as much as possible, but you need to move your shoulders a little to make it look like you're breathing." Mom inhaled once and then nodded again.

"Two minutes," Alice said. "Maybe you should start out already on the couch. You've been sick, after all. That way he won't have to see you move right at first."

Alice pulled mom to the sofa.

"Jacob, I need Renesmee," I said. "And Lacey."

Jacob frowned, unmoving.

Alice shook her head. "Bella, that doesn't help me see."

"But I need her. She keeps me calm." The edge of panic in her voice was unmistakable.

"Fine," Alice groaned. "Hold her as still as you can and I'll try to see around her." She sighed wearily, like she'd been asked to work overtime on a holiday. Jacob sighed, too, but brought Renesmee to mom, and then retreated quickly from Alice's glare. Aunt Rose brought me over to mom.

Dad took a seat beside us and put his arms around Ness, mom, and me. He  
leaned forward and looked Ness and I very seriously in the eyes.

"Renesmee, Lacey, someone special is coming to see you and your mother," he said in a solemn voice. We looked back at him. "But he's not like us, or even like Jacob. We have to be very careful with him. You shouldn't tell him things the way you tell us."

Renesmee touched his face.

"Exactly," he said. "And he's going to make you thirsty. But you mustn't bite him. He won't heal like Jacob."

"Can they understand you?" Mom whispered.  
"They understand. You'll be careful, won't you, girls? You'll help us?"

Renesmee touched him again.

"No, I don't care if you bite Jacob. That's fine."

Jacob chuckled.

"Maybe you should leave, Jacob," Edward said coldly, glaring in his direction.

"I told Charlie I'd be here," Jacob said. "He needs the moral support."

"Moral support," Edward scoffed. "As far as Charlie knows, you're the most repulsive monster of us all."

"Repulsive?" Jake protested, and then he laughed quietly to himself.

"Well done, Bella," Jasper whispered in approval.

"You're sure?" Mom asked Dad.

"Positive. You can do anything." He smiled and kissed her.

Jasper felt her mood change. "Er, Edward, you might not want to distract her like that right now. She needs to be able to focus."

Edward pulled away. "Oops," he said.

Mom laughed.

"Later," Mom said.

"Focus, Bella," Jasper urged.

"Right."

"Bella."

"Sorry, Jasper."

Emmett laughed.

Knock, knock, knock.

Carlisle answered the door. His stressed expression changed to one of welcome.

"Hello, Charlie," he said, looking abashed.

"Carlisle," Charlie greeted him stiffly. "Where's Bella?"

"Right here, Dad." Mom said.

"Is that you, Bella?" he whispered.

"Yep." Mom said. "Hi, Dad."

He took a deep breath to steady himself.

"Hey, Charlie," Jacob greeted him from the corner. "How're things?"

Slowly, Charlie walked across the room until he was a few feet away from us. He darted an accusing glare at Dad, and then his eyes flickered back to mom.

"Bella?" he asked again.

Mom spoke in a lower voice. "It's really me." His jaw locked.

"I'm sorry, Dad," Mom said.

"Are you okay?" he demanded.

"Really and truly great," Mom promised. "Healthy as a horse."

"Jake told me this was… necessary. That you were dying." He said the words like he didn't believe them one bit.

"Jacob was telling you the truth."

"That makes one of you," Charlie growled.

Renesmee and I were hiding under mom's hair. We sniffed and mom tightened her grip on us.

Charlie saw us. "Oh," he said, and all the anger fell off his face, leaving only shock behind. "This is them. The orphans Jacob said you're adopting."

"My nieces," Dad lied smoothly.

"I thought you'd lost your family," Charlie said, accusation returning to his voice.

"I lost my parents. My older brother was adopted, like me. I never saw him after that. But the courts located me when he and his wife died in a car accident,  
leaving their daughters without any other family."

Ness peeked out from under mom's hair, sniffing again. She glanced shyly at Charlie from under her long lashes, then hid again. I looked at him too, but unlike Ness I didn't hide anymore, I stared at him.

"Their… their, well, their beauties."

"Yes," Dad agreed.

"Kind of a big responsibility, though. You two are just getting started."

"What else could we do?" Dad brushed his fingers lightly over Ness' cheek, then mine. "Would you have refused them?"

"Hmph. Well." He shook his head absently. "Jake says you call her Nessie?" He looked at Ness.

"No, we don't," Mom said, her voice too sharp and piercing. "Her name is Renesmee."

"And Lacey?" Mom nodded her head.

Charlie refocused on her. "How do you feel about this? Maybe Carlisle and Esme could—"

"They're mine," Mom interrupted. "I want them."

Charlie frowned. "You gonna make me a grandpa so young?"

Dad smiled. "Carlisle is a grandfather, too."

Charlie snorted and then laughed. "I guess that does sort of make me feel better." His eyes strayed back to Renesmee. "She sure is something to look at." His warm breath blew lightly across the space between us. Renesmee leaned toward the smell, shaking off mom's hair and looking him full in the face for the first time. Charlie gasped.

"I don't want to know everything, but I'm done with the lies!"

"I'm sorry," Dad said calmly, "But you need to know the public story more than you need to know the truth. If you're going to be part of this secret, the public story is the one that counts. It's to protect Bella and Renesmee as well as the rest of us. Can you go along with the lies for them?"

Charlie huffed once and then turned his glare on mom. "You might've given me some warning, kid."

"Would it really have made this any easier?"

Ness smiled as Charlie knelt on the floor in front of us. I stayed staring at him.

"Whoa," Charlie gasped, his eyes on Ness' perfect teeth. "How old is she?"

"Um . . ."

"Three months," Dad said, and then added slowly, "Rather, they're the size of three-month-olds, more or less. They're younger in some ways, more mature in others."

Very deliberately, Renesmee waved at him.

Charlie blinked spastically.

Jacob elbowed him. "Told you she was special, didn't I?"

Charlie cringed away from the contact.

"Oh, c'mon, Charlie," Jacob groaned. "I'm the same person I've always been. Just pretend this afternoon didn't happen."

The reminder made Charlie's lips go white, but he nodded once. "Just what is your part in all this, Jake?" he asked. "How much does Billy know? Why are you  
here?" He looked at Jacob's face, which was glowing as he stared at Renesmee.

"Well, I could tell you all about it—Billy knows absolutely everything—but it involves a lot of stuff about werewo—"

"Ungh!" Charlie protested, covering his ears. "Never mind."

Jacob grinned. "Everything's going to be great, Charlie. Just try to not believe anything you see."

"Woo!" Emmett suddenly boomed in his deep bass. "Go Gators!"

Jacob and Charlie jumped. The rest of us froze.

Charlie recovered, then looked at Emmett over his shoulder. "Florida winning?"

"Just scored the first touchdown," Emmett confirmed. "'Bout time somebody scored around here."

Charlie lurched to his feet, stepped around Jacob, and half-fell into an open chair. "Well," he sighed, "I guess we should see if they can hold on to the lead."

A/N Hope you liked this chapter. Sorry it took so long. I've been a little busy. Do any of you have a favorite part so far?


	5. Chapter 5

A/N I don't own Twilight Stephenie Meyer does.

Ness and I woke up to the sound of Mom hissing. Ness reached for Mom's face.

"Charlie will be back tomorrow," Mom assured her. Ness must've asked her where Charlie was.

"Excellent," Emmett said. Rosalie laughed with him.

"Not brilliant, Emmett," Dad said scornfully, holding out his hands to take us from Mom. He winked when Mom hesitated, and so, she gave us to him.

"What do you mean?" Emmett demanded.

"It's a little dense, don't you think, to antagonize the strongest vampire in the house?"

Emmett threw his head back and snorted. "Please!"

"Bella," Dad murmured to Mom, "Do you remember a few months ago, I asked you to do me a favor once you were immortal?"

"Oh!" Mom said after a moment.

Alice trilled a long, pealing laugh. Jacob poked his head around the corner, his mouth stuffed with food. He is such a dog.

"What?" Emmett growled.

"Really?" Mom asked Dad.

"Trust me," he said.

Mom took a deep breath. "Emmett, how do you feel about a little bet?"

He was on his feet at once. "Awesome. Bring it."

"Unless you're too afraid… ?" Emmett suggested.

Mom squared her shoulders. "You. Me. Arm-wrestling. Dining room table. Now."

Emmett's grin stretched across his face.

"Er, Bella," Alice said quickly, "I think Esme is fairly fond of that table. It's an antique."

"No problem," Emmett said with a gleaming smile. "Right this way, Bella."

Mom followed him out the back and everyone trailed behind them. Emmett found a rock and placed his elbow on it. Mom went to the rock and placed her elbow on the other side.

"Okay, Emmett. I win, and you cannot say one more word about my sex life to anyone, not even Rose. No allusions, no innuendos—no nothing."

His eyes narrowed. "Deal. I win, and it's going to get a lot worse."

"You gonna back down so easy, little sister?" Emmett taunted. "Not much wild about you, is there? I bet that cottage doesn't have a scratch." He laughed. "Did Edward tell you how many houses Rose and I smashed?"

Mom grabbed his big hand. "One, two—"

"Three," he grunted, and shoved against Mom's hand.

Nothing happened.

Emmett grunted; his forehead creased.

Mom laughed. Emmett snarled harshly through his teeth.

"Just keep your mouth shut," Mom reminded him, and then she smashed his hand into the boulder. A deafening crack echoed off the trees. The rock shuddered, and a piece—about an eighth of the mass—broke off at an invisible fault line and crashed to the ground. It fell on Emmett's foot, and Mom snickered.

Emmett kicked the rock fragment across the river. It sliced a young maple in half before thudding into the base of a big fir, which swayed and then fell into another tree.

"Rematch. Tomorrow."

"It's not going to wear off that fast," Mom told him. "Maybe you ought to give it a month."

Emmett growled, flashing his teeth. "Tomorrow."

"Hey, whatever makes you happy, big brother."

As he turned to stalk away, Emmett punched the granite, shattering off an avalanche of shards and powder. It was kind of neat, in a way.

Mom placed her hand, against the rock. Then she dug her fingers slowly into the stone, crushing rather than digging.

"Cool," She mumbled.

Mom whirled in a sudden circle and karate-chopped the rock with the side of her hand. The stone shrieked and groaned and—with a big poof of dust—split in two.

That. Was. Awesome!

Mom started giggling.

Everyone was laughing while Mom destroyed the rest of the rock. It wasn't until me and Ness started laughing that she stopped.

"Did they just laugh?"

Everyone was staring at us with the same dumbstruck expression. Ugh.

"Yes," Dad said.

"Who wasn't laughing?" Jacob muttered, rolling his eyes.

"Tell me you didn't let go a bit on your first run, dog," Dad teased.

"That's different," Jacob said, and he mock-punched Dad's shoulder. "Bella's supposed to be a grown-up. Married and a mom and all that. Shouldn't there be more dignity?"

Ness frowned, and touched Dad's face.

"What does she want?" Mom asked.

"Less dignity," Dad said with a grin. "She was having almost as much fun watching you enjoy yourself as I was."

"Am I funny?" Mom asked Renesmee, darting back and reaching for her at the same time that she reached for mom. She took her out of Dad's arms and offered her the shard of rock in her hand. "You want to try?"

I stretched towards her. "I wanna try," I said in a whiny voice.

"You'll get your turn Lacey," Mom assured me with a smile.

Ness smiled and took the stone in both hands. She squeezed, a little dent forming between her eyebrows as she concentrated. There was a tiny grinding sound, and a bit of dust. She frowned, and held the chunk up to mom.

"I'll get it," she said, pinching the stone into sand.

Ness clapped and laughed; the sound of it made everyone join in.

"My turn!" I yelled. Everyone stared at me. "What? Am I just not important to you people?" I flung my arms in the air, almost hitting my dad in the face.

"You're so impatient," Dad mumbled.

Mom came over and traded Ness for me. She carried me over to a small rock and picked it up. She handed it to me and I crushed it between my hands.

The sun suddenly burst through the clouds, shooting long beams of ruby and gold across the ten of us, and I was immediately lost in the beauty of my mom's skin in the light of the sunset. She was so pretty.


	6. Chapter 6

A/N Twilight is owned by Stephenie Meyer. Sorry that I deleted chapters 5-15 I'm editing all of them they'll be back out soon.

Ness spoke her first word when we were exactly one week old. The word was Momma. Finally. I was getting a little bored, being the first one to speak.

We both started walking fewer than three weeks later. Jacob had burst into applause, because that was clearly the response Ness wanted. But I was just bored, I didn't want applause I just wanted to do what Ness was doing.

Alice and Rosalie usually began our day with a fashion show. Ness and I never wore the same clothes twice, partly because we outgrew our clothes almost  
immediately and partly because Alice and Rosalie were trying to create a baby album that appeared to span years rather than weeks. They took thousands of  
pictures, documenting every phase of our accelerated childhood. But I loved getting new clothes everyday.

At three months, Ness and I could have been big one-year-olds, or small two-year-olds. We weren't shaped exactly like toddlers; we were leaner and more  
graceful, our proportions were more even, like an adult's. Ness's bronze ringlets hung to her waist, my hair was longer because it was straight. Ness and I could speak with flawless grammar and articulation, but Ness rarely bothered, preferring to simply show people what she wanted. We could not only walk but run and dance. We could even read. Oh how I loved to read, and run.

The four of us, Jacob, Ness, Mom, and I, were hunting together. The diet of animal blood wasn't Ness's favorite thing—and that was why Jacob was allowed to come along. Jacob had made it a contest between them, and that made her more willing than anything else. I honestly didn't care anymore.

Ness and I were walking ahead searching for scents.

She was staring at the snowflakes fluttering high above her head, melting before they could stick to the yellowed grass. As we watched, she crouched for an instant and then sprang fifteen feet up into the air. Her hands closed around a flake, and she dropped to her feet.

"Show off," I said, smiling at her.

She turned to us with a smile and opened her hands to show us the perfectly formed eight-pointed ice star in her palm before it melted.

"Pretty," Jacob called to her appreciatively. "But I think you're stalling, Nessie."

She bounded back to Jacob; he held his arms out at exactly the moment she leaped into them. I crossed my arms and rolled my eyes. They had the move perfectly synchronized. She did this when she had something to say. She still preferred not to speak aloud. Ness touched his face, scowling as we all listened to the sound of a small herd of elk moving farther into the wood.

"Suuuure you're not thirsty, Nessie," Jacob answered a little sarcastically, but more indulgently than anything else. "You're just afraid I'll catch the biggest one again!"

She flipped backward out of Jacob's arms, landing lightly on her feet, and rolled her eyes. Then she darted off toward the trees.

"Got it," Jacob said when Mom leaned as if to follow. He yanked his t-shirt off as he charged after her into the forest. "It doesn't count if you cheat," he called to Ness. I ran after them.

Ness won. Again. She always won.

"Mine is bigger," Renesmee insisted as Mom burst through the thick thorn bushes to the small open space where we stood.

Jacob's ears flattened as he took in my mom's expression; he crouched forward, baring his teeth—his muzzle was streaked with blood from his kill. His eyes raked the forest. Ness and I were every bit as alert as Jacob. We leaped into Mom's waiting arms, Ness pressing her hands against Mom's cheeks.

"I'm overreacting," Mom assured us quickly. "It's okay, I think. Hold on."

Mom pulled out her cell phone. Jacob, Ness, and I listened intently to Mom's side.

"Come, bring Carlisle," She trilled. "I saw Irina, and she saw me, but then she saw Jacob and she got mad and ran away, I think. She hasn't shown up here—yet, anyway—but she looked pretty upset so maybe she will. If she doesn't, you and Carlisle have to go after her and talk to her. I feel so bad."

Jacob rumbled.

We darted back to the meadow and then waited silently as Jacob and Mom listened carefully. Carlisle and Dad came into the clearing and Dad was at Mom's side in an instant.

"She was up on that ridge," Mom told them at once, pointing out the spot. "Maybe you should call Emmett and Jasper and have them come with you. She looked… really upset. She growled at me."

"What?" Dad said angrily.

Carlisle put a hand on his arm. "She's grieving. I'll go after her."

"I'm coming with you," Dad insisted.

They exchanged a long glance. Finally, Carlisle nodded, and they took off to find the trail without calling for Jasper or Emmett.

Jacob huffed impatiently and poked Mom's back with his nose.

Ness was complacent in Mom's arms, one hand still resting on her face. I was standing beside them now because I liked to run.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N Twilight is owned by Stephenie Meyer

When Ness and I woke up everyone besides Jacob was gone. When they came back we were all worried. I was mostly worried because my parents weren't among the group. Everyone started packing things. They were leaving? They started talking about travel plans. Jacob told us what was happening. My only question was, why? Why was this happening?

When my parents walked in the door we were even more worried. We were still missing Alice and Jasper. Alice. My favorite aunt.

"We're to stay here?" Dad asked, looking at Carlisle. He didn't sound happy.

"Alice said that we would have to show people Renesmee and Lacey, and we would have to be careful about it," Carlisle said. "We'll send whomever we can find back here to you—Edward, you'll be the best at fielding that particular minefield."

Dad gave one sharp nod, still not happy. "There's a lot of ground to cover."

"We're splitting up," Emmett answered. "Rose and I are hunting for nomads."

"You'll have your hands full here," Carlisle said. "Tanya's family will be here in the morning, and they have no idea why. First, you have to persuade them not to react the way Irina did. Second, you've got to find out what Alice meant about Eleazar. Then, after all that, will they stay to witness for us? It will start again as the others come—if we can persuade anyone to come in the first place." Carlisle sighed. "Your job may well be the hardest. We'll be back to help as soon as we can." Where was Alice?

Carlisle put his hand on Dad's shoulder for a second and then kissed Mom's forehead. Esme hugged them both, and Emmett punched them both on the arm. Rosalie forced a hard smile for Dad and Mom, blew a kiss to Ness and I, and then gave Jacob a parting grimace. We felt the same way about Jacob.

"Good luck," Dad told them.

"And to you," Carlisle said. "We'll all need it."

I watched them leave.

Ness twisted in Jacob's arms to touch his cheek.

"I don't know if Carlisle's friends will come. I hope so. Sounds like we're a little outnumbered right now," Jacob murmured to Ness.

"No, we can't help; we've got to stay here," he went on. "People are coming to see you, not the scenery."

"Us," I mumbled

Ness frowned at him.

"No, I don't have to go anywhere," he said to her. Then he looked at Dad, his face stunned by the realization that he might be wrong. "Do I?"

Dad hesitated.

"Spit it out," Jacob said, his voice raw with tension.

"The vampires who are coming to help us are not the same as we are," Dad said. "Tanya's family is the only one besides ours with a reverence for human life, and even they don't think much of werewolves. I think it might be safer—"

"I can take care of myself," Jacob interrupted.

"Safer for Renesmee," Dad continued, "If the choice to believe our story about them is not tainted by an association with werewolves."

"Some friends. They'd turn on you just because of who you hang out with now?"

"I think they would mostly be tolerant under normal circumstances. But you need to understand—accepting Nessie and Lacey will not be a simple thing for any of them. Why make it even the slightest bit harder?"

"The immortal children were really that bad?" Jacob asked.

"You can't imagine the depth of the scars they've left in the collective vampire psyche."

"Edward . . ."

"I know, Jake. I know how hard it is to be away from her. We'll play it by ear— see how they react to her. In any case, Nessie is going to have to be incognito off and on in the next few weeks. She'll need to stay at the cottage until the right moment for us to introduce her. As long as you keep a safe distance from the main house."

"I can do that. Company in the morning, huh?"

"Yes. The closest of our friends. In this particular case, it's probably better if we get things out in the open as soon as possible. You can stay here. Tanya knows about you. She's even met Seth."

"Right."

"You should tell Sam what's going on. There might be strangers in the woods soon."

"Good point. Though I owe him some silence after last night."

"Listening to Alice is usually the right thing."

I hopped off the couch and Ness came with me. We went to our mother, our mothers arms. I hugged her while Ness nestled her head against Mom's neck. Ness's hand touched Mom's cheek lightly.

"I don't know," Mom whispered. "But she's Alice. She's doing the right thing, like always." Ness must've asked where aunt Alice was. Alice. Gone. Lost.

Ness sighed.

"I miss her, too." Mom looked very upset. I hugged her tighter and Ness stroked her face, we were both trying to soothe her.

A tear welled up on the edge of Ness's eye. Mom wiped it away with a kiss. Ness touched her eye in amazement and then looked at the wetness on her fingertip.

"Don't cry," Mom told her. "It's going to be okay. You're going to be fine. I will find you a way through this."


	8. Chapter 8

A/N Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight.

This was the day that people were coming to see us. I was worried, which was unusual because I was rarely ever worried.

Ness, Jacob, Mom, and I waited around the corner from the front door in the dining room, sitting at the big table.

Dad leaned motionlessly against the back window wall, staring toward the front door. Ness nestled into Mom's neck, her hand against Mom's cheek.

"What if they don't like me?" she whispered.

"Of course they'll—," Jacob started to say, but Mom silenced him with a look.

"They don't understand you, Renesmee, because they've never met anyone like you," Mom told her. "Getting them to understand is the problem."

Ness sighed.

"You're special, that's not a bad thing."

She shook her head in disagreement and said, "This is my fault."

"No," Jacob, Dad, and Mom all said at exactly the same time, but before they could argue further, we heard the sound we'd been waiting for: the slowing of an engine on the freeway, the tires moving from pavement to soft dirt. Dad darted around the corner to stand waiting by the door. Ness hid in Mom's hair. Jacob and Mom stared at each other across the table. They didn't speak as they approached the door. Dad opened it before they could knock.

"Edward!" a female voice enthused.

"Hello, Tanya. Kate, Eleazar, Carmen."

Three murmured hellos.

"Carlisle said he needed to talk to us right away," the first voice said, Tanya. "What's the problem? Trouble with the werewolves?"

Jacob rolled his eyes.

"No," Dad said. "Our truce with the werewolves is stronger than ever."

A woman chuckled.

"Aren't you going to invite us in?" Tanya asked. And then she continued without waiting for an answer. "Where's Carlisle?"

"Carlisle had to leave."

There was a short silence.

"What's going on, Edward?" Tanya demanded.

"If you could give me the benefit of the doubt for just a few minutes," he answered. "I have something difficult to explain, and I'll need you to be openminded  
until you understand."

"Is Carlisle all right?" a male voice asked anxiously. Eleazar.

"None of us is all right, Eleazar," Dad said. "But physically, Carlisle is fine."

"Physically?" Tanya asked sharply. "What do you mean?"

"I mean that my entire family is in very grave danger. But before I explain, I ask for your promise. Listen to everything I say before you react. I am begging you to hear me out."

A longer silence greeted his request. Through the strained hush, Jacob and Mom stared wordlessly at each other.

"We're listening," Tanya finally said. "We will hear it all before we judge."

"Thank you, Tanya," Dad said fervently. "We wouldn't involve you in this if we had any other choice."

Dad moved. We heard four sets of footsteps walk through the doorway.

Someone sniffed. "I knew those werewolves were involved," Tanya muttered.

"Yes, and they're on our side. Again."

The reminder silenced Tanya.

"Where's your Bella?" one of the other female voices asked. "How is she?"

"She'll join us shortly. She's well, thank you. She's taken to immortality with amazing finesse."

"Tell us about the danger, Edward," Tanya said quietly. "We'll listen, and we'll be on your side, where we belong."

Dad took a deep breath. "I'd like you to witness for yourselves first. Listen—in the other room. What do you hear?"

It was quiet, and then there was movement.

"Just listen first, please," Dad said.

"A werewolf, I assume. I can hear his heart," Tanya said.

"What else?" Dad asked.

There was a pause.

"What is that thrumming?" Kate or Carmen asked. "Is that… some kind of a bird?"

"No, but remember what you're hearing. Now, what do you smell? Besides the werewolf."

"Are there humans here?" Eleazar whispered.

"No," Tanya disagreed. "It's not human… but… closer to human than the rest of the scents here. What is that, Edward? I don't think I've ever smelled that  
fragrance before."

"You most certainly have not, Tanya. Please, please remember that this is something entirely new to you. Throw away your preconceived notions."

"I promised you I would listen, Edward."

"All right, then. Bella? Bring out Renesmee and Lacey, please."

My mom got up and Jacob and I followed her. Mom took one step into the bigger room and then froze, I was hiding behind her. Ness took a deep breath and then peeped out from under Mom's hair, her shoulders tight, expecting a rebuff. I stuck my head out from behind Mom and as I looked at these people I cocked my head to the side. Luckily Mom had described to me what they looked like the night before.

Tanya skittered back four steps, her strawberry curls quivering. Kate jumped back all the way to the front door and braced herself against the wall there. A shocked hiss came from between her clenched teeth. Eleazar threw himself in front of Carmen in a protective crouch.

"Oh please," I heard Jacob complain under his breath.

Dad put his arm around Ness, Mom, and me. "You promised to listen," he reminded them.

"Some things cannot be heard!" Tanya exclaimed. "How could you, Edward? Do you not know what this means?"

"We have to get out of here," Kate said anxiously, her hand on the doorknob.

"Edward . . ." Eleazar seemed beyond words. I frowned, so we were dangerous? This made me angry I took a deep breath, trying to control my emotions, and failed, I glared up at them.

"Wait," Dad said, his voice harder now. "Remember what you hear, what you smell. They're not what you think they are."

"There are no exceptions to this rule, Edward," Tanya snapped back.

"Tanya," Dad said sharply, "You can hear their heartbeats! Stop and think about what that means."

"Their heartbeats?" Carmen whispered, peering around Eleazar's shoulder.

"They are not full vampire children," Dad answered, directing his attention toward Carmen's less hostile expression. "They are half-human."

The four vampires stared at him like he was speaking a language none of them knew.

"Hear me." Dad's voice shifted into a smooth velvet tone of persuasion.

"Renesmee and Lacey are one of a kind. I am their father. Not their creator—their biological father."

Tanya's head was shaking, just a tiny movement. She didn't seem aware of it.

"Edward, you can't expect us to—," Eleazar started to say.

"Tell me another explanation that fits, Eleazar. You can feel the warmth of their body in the air. Blood runs in their veins, Eleazar. You can smell it."

"How?" Kate breathed.

"Bella is their biological mother," Dad told her. "She conceived, carried, and gave birth to Renesmee and Lacey while she was still human. It nearly killed her. I was hard-pressed to get enough venom into her heart to save her."

"I've never heard of such a thing," Eleazar said. His shoulders were still stiff, his expression cold.

"Physical relationships between vampires and humans are not common," Dad answered, a bit of dark humor in his tone now. "Human survivors of such trysts are even less common. Wouldn't you agree, cousins?"

Both Kate and Tanya scowled at him.

"Come now, Eleazar. Surely you can see the resemblance." It was Carmen who responded to Dad's words. She stepped around Eleazar, ignoring his half-articulated warning, and walked carefully to stand right in front of us. She leaned down slightly, looking carefully into Ness's face.

"I have a face too you know," I mumbled, Carmen didn't seem to hear me.

"You seem to have your mother's eyes," she said in a low, calm voice, "But your father's face." And then, as if she could not help herself, she smiled at Ness. Ness's answering smile was dazzling. She touched Mom's face without looking away from Carmen.

"Do you mind if Renesmee tells you about it herself?" Mom asked Carmen. "She has a gift for explaining things."

Carmen was still smiling at Ness. "Do you speak, little one?"

"Yes," Renesmee answered. All of Tanya's family flinched at the sound of her voice except for Carmen. "But I can show you more than I can tell you."

"Yet no one hears me when I speak," I said in an annoyed voice. Carmen looked down at me. "Yeah, I'm here too." I was still annoyed. She looked back at Ness.

Ness placed her hand on Carmen's cheek. Carmen stiffened like an electric shock had run through her. Eleazar was at her side in an instant, his hands on her shoulders as if to yank her away.

"Wait," Carmen said breathlessly, her unblinking eyes locked on Ness's. Ness. Took. So. Long!

"What's Nessie showing her?" Jacob grumbled under his breath.

"Everything," Dad murmured.

Another minute passed, and Ness dropped her hand from Carmen's face. She smiled winningly at the stunned vampire. I rolled my eyes.

"She really is your daughter, isn't she?" Carmen breathed, switching her wide eyes to Dad's face. "Such a vivid gift! It could only have come from a  
very gifted father."

 _"I can do that too,"_ I said with my hand on Carmen's shoulder, she smiled at me and I smiled a small smile back.

"Do you believe what she showed you?" Dad asked, his expression intense.

"Without a doubt," Carmen said simply.

Eleazar's face was rigid with distress. "Carmen!"

Carmen took his hands into her own and squeezed them. "Impossible as it seems, Edward has told you nothing but truth. Let the child show you."

Carmen nudged Eleazar closer to us and then nodded at Renesmee. "Show him, mi querida."

Renesmee grinned, clearly delighted with Carmen's acceptance, and touched Eleazar lightly on the forehead.

"Ay caray!" he spit, and jerked away from her.

"What did she do to you?" Tanya demanded, coming closer warily. Kate crept forward, too.

"She's just trying to show you her side of the story," Carmen told him in a soothing voice.

Ness frowned impatiently. "Watch, please," she commanded Eleazar. She stretched her hand out to him and then left a few inches between her fingers and his face, waiting. Sometimes she was just as impatient as I was. Eleazar eyed her suspiciously and then glanced at Carmen for help. She nodded encouragingly. Eleazar took a deep breath and then leaned closer until his forehead touched her hand again. He shuddered when it began but held still this time, his eyes closed in concentration.

"Ahh," he sighed when his eyes reopened a few minutes later. "I see."

Ness smiled at him. He hesitated, then smiled a slightly unwilling smile in response.

"Eleazar?" Tanya asked.

"It's all true, Tanya. This is no immortal child. She's half-human. Come. See for yourself."

In silence, Tanya took her turn standing warily before us, and then Kate, both showing shock as that first image hit them with Ness's touch. But then, just like Carmen and Eleazar, they seemed completely won over as soon as it was done.

"Thank you for listening," Dad said quietly.

"But there is the grave danger you warned us of," Tanya said. "Not directly from these children, I see, but surely from the Volturi, then. How did they find out about them? When are they coming?"

"When Bella saw Irina that day in the mountains," Dad explained, "She had Renesmee and Lacey with her."

Kate hissed, her eyes narrowing to slits. "Irina did this? To you? To Carlisle? Irina?"

"No," Tanya whispered. "Someone else . . ."

"Alice saw her go to them," Dad said.

"How could she do this thing?" Eleazar asked of no one.

"Imagine if you had seen Them only from a distance. If you had not waited for our explanation."

Tanya's eyes tightened. "No matter what she thought… You are our family."

"There's nothing we can do about Irina's choice now. It's too late. Alice gave us a month."

Both Tanya's and Eleazar's heads cocked to one side. Kate's brow furrowed.

"So long?" Eleazar asked.

"They are all coming. That must take some preparation."

Eleazar gasped. "The entire guard?"

"Not just the guard," Dad said, his jaw straining tight. "Aro, Caius, Marcus. Even the wives."

Shock glazed over all their eyes.

"Impossible," Eleazar said blankly.

"I would have said the same two days ago," Dad said.

Eleazar scowled, and when he spoke it was nearly a growl. "But that doesn't make any sense. Why would they put themselves and the wives in danger?"

"It doesn't make sense from that angle. Alice said there was more to this than just punishment for what they think we've done. She thought you could help us."

"More than punishment? But what else is there?" Eleazar started pacing, stalking toward the door and back again as if he were alone here, his eyebrows furrowed as he stared at the floor.

"Where are the others, Edward? Carlisle and Alice and the rest?" Tanya asked.

He answered only part of her question. "Looking for friends who might help us."

Tanya leaned toward him, holding her hands out in front of her. "Edward, no matter how many friends you gather, we can't help you win. We can only die with you. You must know that. Of course, perhaps the four of us deserve that after what Irina has done now, after how we've failed you in the past—for her sake that time as well."

Dad shook his head quickly. "We're not asking you to fight and die with us, Tanya. You know Carlisle would never ask for that."

"Then what, Edward?"

"We're just looking for witnesses. If we can make them pause, just for a moment. If they would let us explain . . ." He touched Ness's cheek; she grabbed his hand and held it pressed against her skin. "It's difficult to doubt our story when you see it for yourself." I walked over to hug his legs, I was definently a daddy's girl.

Tanya nodded slowly. "Do you think their past will matter to them so much?"

"Only as it foreshadows their future. The point of the restriction was to protect us from exposure, from the excesses of children who could not be tamed."

"We're not dangerous at all," Ness interjected. "We never hurt Grandpa or Sue or Billy. We love humans. And I love wolf-people like my Jacob." She dropped Dad's hand to reach back and pat Jacob's arm.

"Correction," I interrupted. "She's not dangerous at all. Me on the other hand, well... I have some anger issues."

Everyone stared at me for the first time. I had released my hold on Dad's legs and I had my arms crossed now. Kate walked over to me she leaned down to smile at me.

"You're a feisty one, aren't you?" She asked.

I laughed. "That's an understatement,"

"I like you," She said as she stood back up. They went back to their conversation.

Tanya and Kate exchanged a quick glance.

"If Irina had not come so soon," Dad mused, "We could have avoided all of this. Renesmee and Lacey grow at an unprecedented rate. By the time the month is past, they'll have gained another half year of development."

"Well, that is something we can certainly witness," Carmen said in a decided tone.

"We'll be able to promise that we've seen them mature ourselves. How could the Volturi ignore such evidence?"

Eleazar mumbled, "How, indeed?" but he did not look up, and he continued pacing as if he were paying no attention at all.

"Yes, we can witness for you," Tanya said. "Certainly that much. We will consider what more we might do."

"Tanya," Dad protested, "We don't expect you to fight with us."

"If the Volturi won't pause to listen to our witness, we cannot simply stand by," Tanya insisted. "Of course, I should only speak for myself."

Kate snorted. "Do you really doubt me so much, sister?"

Tanya smiled widely at her. "It is a suicide mission, after all."

Kate flashed a grin back and then shrugged nonchalantly. "I'm in." I liked Kate, we had a quite few things in common.

"I, too, will do what I can to protect the children," Carmen agreed. Then she held her arms out toward Ness. "May I hold you, bebé linda?"

Ness reached eagerly toward Carmen, delighted with her new friend.

Carmen hugged her close, murmuring to her in Spanish.

I walked over to Kate and Tanya and we started having a conversation about Kate's wonderful talent. An electric shock. I think I made a new friend.


	9. Chapter 9

A/N Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight.

"What is the werewolves' part in this?" Tanya asked then, eyeing Jacob. I had the same question.

Jacob spoke before Dad could answer. "If the Volturi won't stop to listen about Nessie, I mean Renesmee," he corrected himself, remembering that Tanya would not understand his nickname, "we will stop them." Yup all about Ness. What am I, chopped liver?

"Very brave, child, but that would be impossible for more experienced fighters than you are."

"You don't know what we can do."

Tanya shrugged. "It is your own life, certainly, to spend as you choose."

Jacob's eyes flickered to Ness—still in Carmen's arms. Kate and I were becoming very good friends.

"She is special, that little one," Tanya mused. "Hard to resist." I rested my head on my hand and stared at her, waiting for her to acknowledge that there were two of us. "You too, Lacey." She said with a smile, I smiled back.

"A very talented family," Eleazar murmured as he paced. His tempo was increasing; he flashed from the door to Carmen and back again every second. "A mind reader for a father, a shield for a mother, and then whatever magic these extraordinary children have bewitched us with. I wonder if there is a name for what they do, or if it is the norm for a vampire hybrid. As if such a thing could ever be considered normal! Vampire hybrids, indeed!"

"Excuse me," Dad said in a stunned voice. He reached out and caught Eleazar's shoulder as he was about to turn again for the door. "What did you just call my wife?"

Eleazar looked at Dad curiously, his manic pacing forgotten for the moment.

"A shield, I think. She's blocking me now, so I can't be sure."

Mom stared at Eleazar, her brows furrowing in confusion.

"A shield?" Dad repeated, bewildered.

"Come now, Edward! If I can't get a read on her, I doubt you can, either. Can you hear her thoughts right now?" Eleazar asked.

"No," Dad murmured. "But I've never been able to do that. Even when she was human."

"Never?" Eleazar blinked. "Interesting. That would indicate a rather powerful latent talent, if it was manifesting so clearly even before the transformation. I can't feel a way through her shield to get a sense of it at all. Yet she must be raw still—she's only a few months old." The look he gave Edward now was almost exasperated. "And apparently completely unaware of what she's doing. Totally unconscious. Ironic. Aro sent me all over the world searching for such anomalies, and you simply stumble across it by accident and don't even realize what you have." Eleazar shook his head in disbelief.

Mom frowned. "What are you talking about? How can I be a shield? What does that even mean?"

Eleazar leaned his head to one side as he examined her. "I suppose we were overly formal about it in the guard. In truth, categorizing talents is a subjective, haphazard business; every talent is unique, never exactly the same thing twice. But you, Bella, are fairly easy to classify. Talents that are purely defensive, that protect some aspect of the bearer, are always called shields. Have you ever tested your abilities? Blocked anyone besides me and your mate?"

"It only works with certain things," Mom told him. "My head is sort of… private. But it doesn't stop Jasper from being able to mess with my mood or Alice from seeing my future."

"Purely a mental defense." Eleazar nodded to himself. "Limited, but strong."

"Aro couldn't hear her," Dad interjected. "Though she was human when they met."

Eleazar's eyes widened.

"Jane tried to hurt me, but she couldn't," Mom said. "Edward thinks Demetri can't find me, and that Alec can't bother me, either. Is that good?"

Eleazar, still gaping, nodded. "Quite."

"A shield!" Dad said. "I never thought of it that way. The only one I've ever met before was Renata, and what she did was so different."

Eleazar had recovered slightly. "Yes, no talent ever manifests in precisely the same way, because no one ever thinks in exactly the same way."

"Who's Renata? What does she do?" Mom asked. Ness and I were interested, too-Ness was leaning away from Carmen so that she could see around Kate.

"Renata is Aro's personal bodyguard," Eleazar told her. "A very practical kind of shield, and a very strong one."

"I wonder…," Eleazar mused. "You see, Renata is a powerful shield against a physical attack. If someone approaches her—or Aro, as she is always close beside him in a hostile situation—they find themselves… diverted. There's a force around her that repels, though it's almost unnoticeable. You simply find yourself going a different direction than you planned, with a confused memory as to why you wanted to go that other way in the first place. She can project her shield several meters out from herself. She also protects Caius and Marcus, too, when they have a need, but Aro is her priority."

"What she does isn't actually physical, though. Like the vast majority of our gifts, it takes place inside the mind. If she tried to keep you back, I wonder who would win?" He shook his head. "I've never heard of Aro's or Jane's gifts being thwarted."

"Momma, you're special," Ness told mom without any surprise, like she was commenting on the color of her clothes. I nodded.

"Can you project?" Kate asked interestedly.

"Project?" Mom asked.

"Push it out from yourself," Kate explained. "Shield someone besides yourself."

"I don't know. I've never tried. I didn't know I should do that."

"Oh, you might not be able to," Kate said quickly. "Heavens knows I've been working on it for centuries and the best I can do is run a current over my skin."

"Kate's got an offensive skill," Dad said. "Sort of like Jane."

Mom flinched away from Kate automatically, and she laughed.

"I'm not sadistic about it," she assured her. "It's just something that comes in handy during a fight."

"You have to teach me what to do!" She insisted, unthinkingly grabbing Kate's arm. "You have to show me how!"

Kate winced at her grip. "Maybe—if you stop trying to crush my radius."

"Oops! Sorry!"

"You're shielding, all right," Kate said. "That move should have about shocked your arm off. You didn't feel anything just now?"

"That wasn't really necessary, Kate. She didn't mean any harm," Dad muttered under his breath. Neither of them paid attention to him.

"No, I didn't feel anything. Were you doing your electric current thing?"

"I was. Hmm. I've never met anyone who couldn't feel it, immortal or otherwise."

"You said you project it? On your skin?"

Kate nodded. "It used to be just in my palms. Kind of like Aro."

"Or Renesmee and Lacey," Edward interjected.

"But after a lot of practice, I can radiate the current all over my body. It's a good defense. Anyone who tries to touch me drops like a human that's been Tasered. It only downs him for a second, but that's long enough."

"Can you think of even one exception, though?" Dad asked. He and Eleazar were having a silent conversation.

They were leaning toward each other intently, Dad's expression tight with suspicion, Eleazar's unhappy and reluctant.

"I don't want to think of them that way," Eleazar said through his teeth.

"If you're right—," Eleazar began again.

Dad cut him off. "The thought was yours, not mine."

"If I'm right… I can't even grasp what that would mean. It would change everything about the world we've created. It would change the meaning of my life. What I have been a part of."

"Your intentions were always the best, Eleazar."

"Would that even matter? What have I done? How many lives . . ."

Tanya put her hand on Eleazar's shoulder in a comforting gesture. "What did we miss, my friend? I want to know so that I can argue with these thoughts. You've never done anything worth castigating yourself this way."

"Oh, haven't I?" Eleazar muttered. Then he shrugged out from under her hand and began his pacing again, faster even than before.

Tanya watched him for half a second and then focused on Dad. "Explain."

Dad nodded, his tense eyes following Eleazar as he spoke. "He was trying to understand why so many of the Volturi would come to punish us. It's not the way they do things. Certainly, we are the biggest mature coven they've dealt with, but in the past other covens have joined to protect themselves, and they never presented much of a challenge despite their numbers. We are more closely bonded, and that's a factor, but not a huge one.

"He was remembering other times that covens have been punished, for one thing or the other, and a pattern occurred to him. It was a pattern that the rest of the guard would never have noticed, since Eleazar was the one passing the pertinent intelligence privately to Aro. A pattern that only repeated every other century or so."

"What was this pattern?" Carmen asked, watching Eleazar as Dad was.

"Aro does not often personally attend a punishing expedition," Dad said. "But in the past, when Aro wanted something in particular, it was never long before  
evidence turned up proving that this coven or that coven had committed some unpardonable crime. The ancients would decide to go along to watch the guard  
administer justice. And then, once the coven was all but destroyed, Aro would grant a pardon to one member whose thoughts, he would claim, were particularly repentant. Always, it would turn out that this vampire had the gift Aro had admired. Always, this person was given a place with the guard. The gifted vampire was won over quickly, always so grateful for the honor. There were no exceptions."

"It must be a heady thing to be chosen," Kate suggested.

"Ha!" Eleazar snarled, still in motion.

"There is one among the guard," Dad said, explaining Eleazar's angry reaction. "Her name is Chelsea. She has influence over the emotional ties between people. She can both loosen and secure these ties. She could make someone feel bonded to the Volturi, to want to belong, to want to please them. . . ."

Eleazar came to an abrupt halt. "We all understood why Chelsea was important. In a fight, if we could separate allegiances between allied covens, we could defeat them that much more easily. If we could distance the innocent members of a coven emotionally from the guilty, justice could be done without unnecessary brutality—the guilty could be punished without interference, and the innocent could be spared. Otherwise, it was impossible to keep the coven from fighting as a whole. So Chelsea would break the ties that bound them together. It seemed a great kindness to me, evidence of Aro's mercy. I did suspect that Chelsea kept our own band more tightly knit, but that, too, was a good thing. It made us more effective. It helped us coexist more easily."

"How strong is her gift?" Tanya asked with an edge to her voice.

Eleazar shrugged. "I was able to leave with Carmen." And then he shook his head.

"But anything weaker than the bond between partners is in danger. In a normal coven, at least. Those are weaker bonds than those in our family, though.  
Abstaining from human blood makes us more civilized—lets us form true bonds of love. I doubt she could turn our allegiances, Tanya."

Tanya nodded, seeming reassured, while Eleazar continued with his analysis.

"I could only think that the reason Aro had decided to come himself, to bring so many with him, is because his goal is not punishment but acquisition," Eleazar said. "He needs to be there to control the situation. But he needs the entire guard for protection from such a large, gifted coven. On the other hand, that leaves the other ancients unprotected in Volterra. Too risky—someone might try to take advantage. So they all come together. How else could he be sure to preserve the gifts that he wants? He must want them very badly," Eleazar mused.

Dad's voice was low as a breath. "From what I saw of his thoughts last spring, Aro's never wanted anything more than he wants Alice."

"Is that why Alice left?" Mom asked, her voice breaking on her name.

Dad put his hand against her cheek. "I think it must be. To keep Aro from gaining the thing he wants most of all. To keep her power out of his hands."

"He wants you, too," Mom whispered.

Dad shrugged. "Not nearly as much. I can't really give him anything more than he already has. And of course that's dependent on his finding a way to force me to do his will. He knows me, and he knows how unlikely that is." He raised one eyebrow sardonically.

Eleazar frowned at Dad's nonchalance. "He also knows your weaknesses," Eleazar pointed out, and then he looked at mom.

"It's nothing we need to discuss now," Dad said quickly.

Eleazar ignored the hint and continued. "He probably wants your mate, too, regardless. He must have been intrigued by a talent that could defy him in its human incarnation."

Dad changed the subject. "I think the Volturi were waiting for this—for some pretext. They couldn't know what form their excuse would come in, but the plan was already in place for when it did come. That's why Alice saw their decision before Irina triggered it. The decision was already made, just waiting for the pretense of a justification."

"If the Volturi are abusing the trust all immortals have placed in them…," Carmen murmured.

"Does it matter?" Eleazar asked. "Who would believe it? And even if others could be convinced that the Volturi are exploiting their power, how would it make any difference? No one can stand against them."

"Though some of us are apparently insane enough to try," Kate muttered.

Dad shook his head. "You're only here to witness, Kate. Whatever Aro's goal, I don't think he's ready to tarnish the Volturi's reputation for it. If we can take away his argument against us, he'll be forced to leave us in peace."

"Of course," Tanya murmured.

No one looked convinced. For a few long minutes, nobody said anything.

Then I heard the sound of tires turning off the highway pavement onto our dirt drive.

"Oh crap, Charlie," Mom muttered. "Maybe the Denalis could hang out upstairs until—"

"No," Dad said in a distant voice. His eyes were far away, staring blankly at the door. "It's not your father." His gaze focused on mom. "Alice sent Peter and Charlotte, after all. Time to get ready for the next round."


	10. Chapter 10

A/N Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer, so most of the dialogue is hers.

The house was more crowded with guests than anyone would assume could possibly be comfortable. It only worked out because none of the visitors slept. Actually the only people who ever slept were me, Ness, and Jacob.

We'd replayed the scene of our introduction to the Denali coven a half dozen times. First for Peter and Charlotte, whom Alice and Jasper had sent our way without giving them any explanation at all; like most people who knew Alice, they trusted her instructions despite the lack of information.

Carlisle had sent friends from Ireland and Egypt.

The Irish clan arrived first, and they were surprisingly easy to convince.

Siobhan—a woman of immense presence whose huge body was both beautiful and mesmerizing as it moved in smooth undulations—was the leader, but she and her mate, Liam, were long used to trusting the judgment of their newest coven member. Little Maggie, with her bouncy red curls, was not physically imposing like the other two, but she had a gift for knowing when she was being lied to, and her verdicts were never contested. Maggie declared that Dad spoke the truth, and so Siobhan and Liam accepted our story absolutely before even touching Ness or me.

Amun and the other Egyptian vampires were another story. Even after two younger members of his coven, Benjamin and Tia, had been convinced by Ness's explanation, Amun refused to touch us and ordered his coven to leave. Benjamin—an oddly cheerful vampire who looked barely older than a boy and seemed both utterly confident and utterly careless at the same time— persuaded Amun to stay with a few subtle threats about disbanding their alliance. I liked Benjamin, he was just so... optimistic.

Amun stayed, but continued to refuse to touch us, and would not allow his mate, Kebi, to touch us, either. Amun was the senior member and the outspoken leader. Kebi never strayed farther away from Amun than his shadow, and I never heard her speak a single word. Tia, Benjamin's mate, was a quiet woman as well, though when she did speak there was great insight and gravity to everything she said.

Emmett and Rose sent individuals.

Garrett came first—a tall, rangy vampire with eager ruby eyes and long sandy hair he kept tied back with a leather thong—and it was apparent immediately that he was an adventurer. He fell in quickly with the Denali sisters, asking endless questions about their unusual lifestyle.

Mary and Randall also came—friends already, though they did not travel together. They listened to our story and stayed to witness like the others.

Like the Denalis, they considered what they would do if the Volturi did not pause for explanations. All three of the nomads toyed with the idea of standing with us.

Carlisle and Esme returned a week after they had gone, Emmett and Rosalie just a few days later, and all of us felt better when they were home. Carlisle brought one more friend home with him, though friend might have been the wrong term. Alistair was a misanthropic English vampire who counted Carlisle as his closest acquaintance, though he could hardly stand a visit more than once a century. He is what I call a party pooper.

Alistair very much preferred to wander alone, and Carlisle had called in a lot of favors to get him here. He shunned all company, and it was clear he didn't have any admirers in the gathered covens. Again party pooper, raining on everyone's parade, not a people person _at all_. Mr. Party A. Pooper vampire took Carlisle at his word about our origins, refusing, like Amun, to touch us. So we got another "germ-a-phobe" as I call them.

Mom brought us out to meet the "Amazonians". They came unexpectedly.

Despite their fierce appearance, they listened very calmly to our story, and then allowed Ness and I to prove the point. They were every bit as taken with us as any of the other vampires. Senna was always near Zafrina, never speaking, but it wasn't the same as Amun and Kebi. Kebi's manner seemed obedient; Senna and Zafrina were more like two limbs of one organism—Zafrina just happened to be the mouthpiece.

"It's a very straightforward illusion," Dad explained when it turned out that Mom couldn't see anything, as usual. Zafrina was intrigued and amused by her immunity—something she'd never encountered before—and she hovered restlessly while Dad described what Mom was missing. Dad's eyes unfocused slightly as he continued. "She can make most people see whatever she wants them to see—see that, and nothing else. For example, right now I would appear to be alone in the middle of a rain forest. It's so clear I might possibly believe it, except for the fact that I can still feel you in my arms."

Zafrina's lips twitched into her hard version of a smile. A second later, Dad's eyes focused again, and he grinned back.

"Impressive," he said.

Ness was fascinated with the conversation, and she reached out fearlessly toward Zafrina.

"Can I see?" she asked.

"What would you like to see?" Zafrina asked.

"What you showed Daddy."

Zafrina nodded, and Mom watched anxiously as Ness's eyes stared blankly into space. A second later, Ness's dazzling smile lit up her face.

"More," she commanded.

So while Ness spent most of her time with Zafrina I spent my time with Kate. We were becoming friends in a way. I also learned that there was an extra element to my talent, I was very persuasive. When I really want something I can ask and no one can refuse. It comes in handy.

Mom was trying to learn to fight, it was...going. I lost a little of my time with Kate when Mom started practicing with her shield. It went like this, Dad would stand in front of Kate, Kate would shock him while Mom failed to shield him, I would stand there trying to resist the urge to help.

"Hey," Dad said cheerfully, trying to hide any evidence of distress in his voice. Anything to keep Mom from fighting practice. "That one barely stung. Good job, Bella."

 _"You're a big fat liar, Dad,"_ I thought, shaking my head.

"Again, Kate," Mom grunted through her clenched teeth.

Kate pressed her palm to Dad's shoulder.

He sighed in relief. "Nothing that time."

She raised an eyebrow. "That wasn't low, either."

"Good," Mom huffed.

"Get ready," she told Mom, and reached out to Dad again. This time he shuddered, and a low breath hissed between his teeth.

"Sorry! Sorry! Sorry!" Mom chanted, biting her lip.

"You're doing an amazing job, Bella," Dad said, pulling her against him.

"You've really only been working at this for a few days and you're already projecting sporadically. Kate, tell her how well she's doing."

Kate pursed her lips. "I don't know. She's obviously got tremendous ability, and we're only beginning to touch it. She can do better, I'm sure. She's just lacking incentive." She already knew that I wasn't going to be the victim.

"Kate…," Dad said in a warning voice as some new course of action occurred to her, but she was already in motion. She darted along the curve of the river to  
where Zafrina, Senna, and Ness were walking slowly, Ness's hand in Zafrina's as they traded pictures back and forth. Jacob shadowed them from a few feet behind.

"Nessie," Kate said—the newcomers had quickly picked up her nickname, "would you like to come help your mother?"

"No," Mom half-snarled. Ness flitted across the yard to us, with Kate, Zafrina, and Senna right behind her.

"Good luck with that," I mumbled, worried about her.

"Absolutely not, Kate," Mom hissed. Ness reached for her, and she opened her arms.

"But Momma, I _want_ to help," Ness said in a determined voice.

"No," Mom said, quickly backing away. Kate had taken a deliberate step in Mom's direction, her hand stretched toward them.

"Stay away from us, Kate," Mom warned her.

"No." She began stalking forward.

Mom shifted Renesmee so that she was clinging to her back, still backing away at a pace that matched Kate's.

Kate took another calculated step forward, and a vicious snarl ripped up Mom's throat and through her clenched teeth.

"Be careful, Kate," Dad cautioned. I was getting anxious, I didn't want Kate, Ness, or Mom to get hurt. I took a step forward.

Kate took another step. Just a short leap away from Mom, she looked away, turning her attention from Mom to Dad.

"Can you hear anything from Nessie?" Kate asked him, her voice calm and easy.

Dad darted into the space between them. "No, nothing at all," he answered. "Now give Bella some space to calm down, Kate. You shouldn't goad her like that. I know she doesn't seem her age, but she's only a few months old."

"We don't have time to do this gently, Edward. We're going to have to push her. We only have a few weeks, and she's got the potential to—"

"Back off for a minute, Kate."

I ran to my family, touching Kate's arm as I went by to tell her to listen. I stood by my Dad.

"Kate," Mom growled. She rested her hand on the small of Dad's back. I moved so that I was by Ness.

"Again," Mom said to Kate. "Edward only."

She rolled her eyes but flitted forward and pressed her palm to Dad's shoulder.

"Nothing," Dad said.

"And now?" Kate asked.

"Still nothing."

"And now?" This time, there was the sound of strain in her voice.

"Nothing at all."

Kate grunted and stepped away.

"Can you see this?" Zafrina asked in her deep, wild voice, staring intently at the four of us.

"I don't see anything I shouldn't," Dad said.

"Nope, nothing," I said.

"And you, Renesmee?" Zafrina asked.

Ness smiled at Zafrina and shook her head.

"No one panic," Zafrina warned the little group watching Mom. "I want to see how far she can extend."

There was a shocked gasp from everyone there—Eleazar, Carmen, Tanya, Garrett, Benjamin, Tia, Siobhan, Maggie—everyone but Senna, who seemed prepared for whatever Zafrina was doing. The others' eyes were blank, their expressions anxious.

"Raise your hand when you get your sight back," Zafrina instructed. "Now, Bella. See how many you can shield."

"Fascinating!" Dad murmured under his breath. "It's like one-way glass. I can read everything they're thinking, but they can't reach me behind it. And I can hear Renesmee, though I couldn't when I was on the outside. I'll bet Kate could shock me now, because she's underneath the umbrella. I still can't hear you…hmmm. How does that work? I wonder if . . ." He continued to mumble to himself.

"Very good," Zafrina complimented Mom. "Now—" Mom let out a sharp gasp.

"Can I have a minute?" she panted.

"Of course," Zafrina said, and the spectators relaxed as she let them see again.

"Kate," Garrett called as the others murmured and drifted slightly away, disturbed by the moment of blindness; vampires were not used to feeling vulnerable.

"I wouldn't, Garrett," Dad cautioned.

Garrett continued toward Kate despite the warning, his lips pursed in speculation. "They say you can put a vampire flat on his back."

"Yes," she agreed. Then, with a sly smile, she wiggled her fingers playfully at him. "Curious?"

Garrett shrugged. "That's something I've never seen. Seems like it might be a bit of an exaggeration. . . ."

"Maybe," Kate said, her face suddenly serious. "Maybe it only works on the weak or the young. I'm not sure. You look strong, though. Perhaps you could withstand my gift." She stretched her hand out to him, palm up—a clear invitation. I smiled, trying not to laugh at Garrett's ignorance.

Garrett grinned at the challenge. Very confidently, he touched her palm with his index finger.

And then, with a loud gasp, his knees buckled and he keeled over backward. His head hit a piece of granite with a sharp cracking noise.

"I told you so," Dad muttered.

Garrett's eyelids trembled for a few seconds, and then his eyes opened wide. He stared up at the smirking Kate, and a wondering smile lit his face.

"Wow," he said.

"Did you enjoy that?" she asked skeptically. Ha! Of course he didn't.

"I'm not crazy," he laughed, shaking his head as he got slowly to his knees, "but that was sure something!"

"That's what I hear."

Dad rolled his eyes. And then there was a low commotion from the front yard. I heard Carlisle speaking over a babble of surprised voices.

"Did Alice send you?" he asked someone, his voice unsure, slightly upset. Another unexpected guest? Dad darted into the house and most of the others imitated him. Mom followed more slowly, Ness still perched on her back, I grabbed Ness's hand. Mom pulled Ness into her arms and I let go of her hand, just to put both arms around Mom and she wrapped one arm around me as we walked cautiously around the house to enter through the kitchen door, listening to what we couldn't see.

"No one sent us," a deep whispery voice answered Carlisle's question. Mom froze just inside the kitchen.

I knew the front room was crowded—almost everyone had gone in to see the newest visitors—but there was barely any noise. Shallow breathing, that was all.

Carlisle's voice was wary as he responded. "Then what brings you here now?"

"Word travels," a different voice answered, just as feathery as the first. "We heard hints that Volturi were moving against you. There were whispers that you would not stand alone. Obviously, the whispers were true. This is an impressive gathering."

"We are not challenging the Volturi," Carlisle answered in a strained tone. "There has been a misunderstanding, that is all. A very serious misunderstanding, to be sure, but one we're hoping to clear up. What you see are witnesses. We just need the Volturi to listen. We didn't—"

"We don't care what they say you did," the first voice interrupted. "And we don't care if you broke the law."

"No matter how egregiously," the second inserted.

"We've been waiting a millennium and a half for the Italian scum to be challenged," said the first. "If there is any chance they will fall, we will be here to  
see it."

"Or even to help defeat them," the second added. They spoke in a smooth tandem. "If we think you have a chance of success."

"Bella?" Dad called in a hard voice. "Bring Renesmee and Lacey here, please. Maybe we should test our Romanian visitors' claims."

As we walked into the room I noticed most of the motionless vampires glared with hostile eyes, and a few—Carmen, Tanya, Zafrina, and Senna—repositioned themselves subtly into defensive poses between the newcomers and us.

The vampires at the door were both slight and short, one dark-haired and the other with hair so ashy blond that it looked pale gray. Their sharp, narrow eyes were dark burgundy. They wore very simple black clothes that could pass as modern but hinted at older designs.

The dark one grinned when we came into view. "Well, well, Carlisle. You have been naughty, haven't you?" I rolled my eyes.

"They're not what you think, Stefan."

"And we don't care either way," the blonde responded. "As we said before."

"Then you're welcome to observe, Vladimir, but it is definitely not our plan to challenge the Volturi, as we said before."

"Then we'll just cross our fingers," Stefan began.

"And hope we get lucky," finished Vladimir.

In the end, we had pulled together seventeen witnesses—the Irish, Siobhan, Liam, and Maggie; the Egyptians, Amun, Kebi, Benjamin, and Tia; the Amazons, Zafrina and Senna; the Romanians, Vladimir and Stefan; and the nomads, Charlotte and Peter, Garrett, Alistair, Mary, and Randall—to supplement our family of eleven. Tanya, Kate, Eleazar, and Carmen insisted on being counted as part of our family.

The Romanians would not touch us, but they showed no aversion to us. They seemed mysteriously delighted by our alliance with the werewolves. They watched Mom practice her shield with Zafrina and Kate, watched Dad answer unspoken questions, watched Benjamin pull geysers of water from the river or sharp gusts of wind from the still air with just his mind, and their eyes glowed with their fierce hope that the Volturi had finally met their match. They were also kind of getting on my nerves.


	11. Chapter 11

A/N Please leave a review if you like this chapter, and again, most of the dialogue is Stephenie Meyer's.

Mom made plans for Ness and I to visit grandpa Charlie. I was glad to get to see him again.

"Why can't we take your Ferrari?" Jacob complained when he met us in the garage. We were already in Dad's Volvo.

"Too conspicuous," Mom answered. "We could go on foot, but that would freak Charlie out."

Jacob grumbled but got into the front seat. Ness climbed from Mom's lap to his. I was in the backseat

"How come I have to sit back here all alone?" I asked.

"I don't know," Mom answered after a minute.

"How are you?" Mom asked Jacob as she pulled out of the garage.

"How do you think?" Jacob asked bitingly. "I'm sick of all these reeking bloodsuckers." He saw Mom's expression and spoke before she could answer. "Yeah, I  
know, I know. They're the good guys, they're here to help, they're going to save us all. Etcetera, etcetera. Say what you want, I still think Dracula One and Dracula Two are creep-tacular."

"I don't disagree with you there."

Ness shook her head but said nothing; unlike the rest of us, she found the Romanians strangely fascinating. She'd made the effort to speak to them aloud  
since they would not let her touch them. Her question was about their unusual skin.

"We sat still for a very long time, child," Vladimir had answered, with Stefan nodding along but not continuing Vladimir's sentences as he often did.

"Contemplating our own divinity. It was a sign of our power that everything came to us. Prey, diplomats, those seeking our favor. We sat on our thrones and  
thought ourselves gods. We didn't notice for a long time that we were changing—almost petrifying. I suppose the Volturi did us one favor when they burned our castles. Stefan and I, at least, did not continue to petrify. Now the Volturi's eyes are filmed with dusty scum, but ours are bright. I imagine that will give us an advantage when we gouge theirs from their sockets."

Mom kept Ness and I away from them after that.

"How long do we get to hang out with Charlie?" Jacob asked.

"For quite a while, actually."

"Is something going on here besides visiting your dad?"

"Jake, you know how you're pretty good at controlling your thoughts around Edward?"

"Yeah?"

Their conversation ended but I didn't know why. As we drove in silence, I was wondering why Mom and Jacob didn't continue their conversation.

When we got to Charlie's we didn't talk as we walked at a quick human pace through the falling rain. Grandpa Charlie was waiting for us; he had the door open before Mom could knock.

"Hey, guys! It seems like it's been years! Look at you, Nessie! Come to Grampa! I swear you've grown half a foot. And you look skinny, Ness." He glared at Mom. "Aren't they feeding you guys up there?"

"Hey, Grandpa," I greeted him.

"It's just the growth spurt," Mom muttered. "Hey, Sue," she called over his shoulder.

Ness flashed her dimples. She never spoke in front of Charlie.

"Well, come on in out of the cold, kids. Where's my son-in-law?"

"Entertaining friends," Jacob said, and then snorted. "You're so lucky you're out of the loop, Charlie. That's all I'm going to say."

"Actually, Charlie, I have some errands to run."

"Behind on your Christmas shopping, Bells? You only have a few days, you know."

"Yeah, Christmas shopping," she said lamely.

"Don't worry, girls," Charlie whispered to us. "I got you covered if your mom drops the ball."

"Lunch's on the table," Sue called from the kitchen. "C'mon, guys."

"See you later, Dad," Mom said, and exchanged a quick look with Jacob.

We walked inside the house.

"Yay," I said when I saw our lunch. I wasn't very hungry.

We ate kind of quietly, Charlie wasn't too talkative.

"Have you decorated your tree yet?" I asked Charlie.

"Kind of," He answered, so I spent my afternoon making that tree look fabulous, Alice would be proud . . . if she was still here.

A/N Sorry if this chapter is kind of short... I tried.


	12. Chapter 12

A/N Most of the dialogue is Stephenie Meyer's

We went to see Charlie on Christmas Day, Dad, Mom, Ness, Jacob, and I. All of Jacob's pack were there, plus Sam, Emily, and Sue. Thanks to me the tree was completely decorated, I knew that if I didn't finish it that no one else would. Ness and I wore matching lockets that Mom had given us at dawn, and in Ness' jacket pocket was an MP3 player Dad had given her—a tiny thing that held five thousand songs, already filled with Dad's favorites. On her wrist was an intricately braided Quileute version of a promise ring. Dad had gritted his teeth over that one, but it didn't seem to bother Mom, I was with my dad on that one. I ended up getting a Kindle from my dad, it already had a bunch of books on it—which I couldn't wait to read. All I got from Jacob was silence, and I was ok with that. The food was pretty good, but I still wasn't very hungry so I didn't eat much.

Dad parked in front of the house rather than going around to the garage.

"Alistair is gone," Dad murmured as we all darted up the steps. We lost one of our fabulous germ-a-phobes it seems. I gotta say, I will _not_ miss him.

Inside the front room, the main confrontation was physically apparent. Lining the walls was a ring of spectators, every vampire who had joined us, except for Alistair and the three involved in the quarrel. Esme, Kebi, and Tia were the closest to the three vampires in the center; in the middle of the room, Amun was hissing at Carlisle and Benjamin. Dad's jaw tightened and he moved quickly to Esme's side, towing Mom by the hand. I stood in between my parents.

"Amun, if you want to go, no one is forcing you to stay," Carlisle said calmly. Two of our germ-a-phobes? This is a great day.

"You're stealing half my coven, Carlisle!" Amun shrieked, stabbing one finger at Benjamin. "Is that why you called me here? To steal from me?"

Carlisle sighed, and Benjamin rolled his eyes.

"Yes, Carlisle picked a fight with the Volturi, endangered his whole family, just to lure me here to my death," Benjamin said sarcastically. "Be reasonable, Amun. I'm committed to do the right thing here—I'm not joining any other coven. You can do whatever you want, of course, as Carlisle has pointed out."

"This won't end well," Amun growled. "Alistair was the only sane one here. We should all be running."

"Think of who you're calling sane," Tia murmured in a quiet aside.

"We're all going to be slaughtered!"

"It's not going to come to a fight," Carlisle said in a firm voice.

"You say!"

"If it does, you can always switch sides, Amun. I'm sure the Volturi will appreciate your help."

Amun sneered at him. "Perhaps that is the answer."

Carlisle's answer was soft and sincere. "I wouldn't hold that against you, Amun. We have been friends for a long time, but I would never ask you to die for me."

Amun's voice was more controlled, too. "But you're taking my Benjamin down with you."

Carlisle put his hand on Amun's shoulder; Amun shook it off. "I'll stay, Carlisle, but it might be to your detriment. I will join them if that's the road to survival. You're all fools to think that you can defy the Volturi." He scowled, then sighed, glanced at Ness, Mom, and me, and added in an exasperated tone, "I will witness that the children have grown. That's nothing but the truth. Anyone would see that."

"That's all we've ever asked."

Amun grimaced, "But not all that you are getting, it seems." He turned on Benjamin. "I gave you life. You're wasting it."

Benjamin's face looked colder than I'd ever seen it; the expression contrasted oddly with his boyish features. "It's a pity you couldn't replace my will with your own in the process; perhaps then you would have been satisfied with me."

Amun's eyes narrowed. He gestured abruptly to Kebi, and they stalked past us out the front door. Rude.

"He's not leaving," Dad said quietly to Mom, "but he'll be keeping his distance even more from now on. He wasn't bluffing when he spoke of joining the Volturi."

"Why did Alistair go?" Mom whispered.

"No one can be positive; he didn't leave a note. From his mutters, it's been clear that he thinks a fight is inevitable. Despite his demeanor, he actually does care too much for Carlisle to stand with the Volturi. I suppose he decided the danger was too much." Dad shrugged.

Though their conversation was clearly just between the two of them, of course everyone could hear it. Eleazar answered Dad's comment like it had been meant for all.

"From the sound of his mumblings, it was a bit more than that. We haven't spoken much of the Volturi agenda, but Alistair worried that no matter how decisively we can prove your innocence, the Volturi will not listen. He thinks they will find an excuse to achieve their goals here."

"I do so hope Alistair was right about this," Stefan murmured to Vladimir. "No matter the outcome, word will spread. It's time our world saw the Volturi for what they've become. They'll never fall if everyone believes this nonsense about them protecting our way of life."

"At least when we ruled, we were honest about what we were," Vladimir replied. Stefan nodded. "We never put on white hats and called ourselves saints."

"I'm thinking the time has come to fight," Vladimir said. "How can you imagine we'll ever find a better force to stand with? Another chance this good?"

"Nothing is impossible. Maybe someday—"

"We've been waiting for fifteen hundred years, Stefan. And they've only gotten stronger with the years." Vladimir paused and looked at Mom. He showed no  
surprise when he saw that she was watching him, too. "If the Volturi win this conflict, they will leave with more power than they came with. With every conquest they add to their strengths. Think of what that newborn alone could give them"—he jerked his chin toward Mom—"and she is barely discovering her gifts. And the earth-mover." Vladimir nodded toward Benjamin, who stiffened. Almost everyone was eavesdropping on the Romanians now. "With their witch twins they have no need of the illusionist or the fire touch." His eyes moved to Zafrina, then Kate.

Stefan looked at Dad. "Nor is the mind reader is exactly necessary. But I see your point. Indeed, they will gain much if they win."

"More than we can afford to have them gain, wouldn't you agree?"

Stefan sighed. "I think I must agree. And that means… "

"That we must stand against them while there is still hope."

"If we can just cripple them, even, expose them . . ."

"Then, someday, others will finish the job."

"And our long vendetta will be repaid. At last."

They locked eyes for a moment and then murmured in unison. "It seems the only way." I still don't like them.

"So we fight," Stefan said.

"We fight," Vladimir agreed. I have mixed feelings about this.

"We will fight, too," Tia said, her usually grave voice more solemn than ever. "We believe the Volturi will overstep their authority. We have no wish to belong to them." Her eyes lingered on Benjamin.

Benjamin grinned and threw an impish glance toward the Romanians. "Apparently, I'm a hot commodity. It appears I have to win the right to be free."

"This won't be the first time I've fought to keep myself from a king's rule," Garrett said in a teasing tone. He walked over and clapped Benjamin on the back. "Here's to freedom from oppression."

"We stand with Carlisle," Tanya said. "And we fight with him."

The Romanians' pronouncement seemed to have made the others feel the need to declare themselves as well.

"We have not decided," Peter said. He looked down at his tiny companion; Charlotte's lips were set in dissatisfaction.

"The same goes for me," Randall said.

"And me," Mary added.

"The packs will fight with the Cullens," Jacob said suddenly. "We're not afraid of vampires," he added with a smirk.

"Children," Peter muttered.

"Infants," Randall corrected.

"So true," I mumbled, rolling my eyes.

Jacob grinned tauntingly.

"Well, I'm in, too," Maggie said, shrugging out from under Siobhan's restraining hand. "I know truth is on Carlisle's side. I can't ignore that."

Siobhan stared at the junior member of her coven with worried eyes. "Carlisle," she said as if they were alone, ignoring the suddenly formal feel of the gathering, the unexpected outburst of declarations, "I don't want this to come to a fight."

"Nor do I, Siobhan. You know that's the last thing I want." He half-smiled. "Perhaps you should concentrate on keeping it peaceful."

"You know that won't help," she said.

"It couldn't hurt," Carlisle said.

Siobhan rolled her eyes. "Shall I visualize the outcome I desire?" she asked sarcastically.

Carlisle was openly grinning now. "If you don't mind."

"Then there is no need for my coven to declare itself, is there?" she retorted.

"Since there is no possibility of a fight." She put her hand back on Maggie's shoulder, pulling the girl closer to her. Siobhan's mate, Liam, stood silent and expressionless. Almost everyone else in the room looked mystified by Carlisle and Siobhan's clearly joking exchange, but they didn't explain themselves. That was the end of the dramatic speeches for the night. The group slowly dispersed, some off to hunt, some to while away the time with Carlisle's books or televisions or computers.

Dad, Mom, Ness, and I went to hunt. Jacob tagged along. Ugh. Still a cat person.

"Stupid leeches," he muttered to himself when we got outside. "Think they're so superior." He snorted.

"They'll be shocked when the infants save their superior lives, won't they?" Dad said. Ha.

Jake smiled and punched his shoulder. "Hell yeah, they will."

Sigh, he is so immature.


	13. Chapter 13

A/N I saw a review about how Ness gets all the attention, that doesn't mean that she is the favorite _at all_ Lacey is just very independent. So don't feel bad for her. I will try to include her more though. Also this chapter might be kind of sad. Most of the dialogue is Stephenie Meyer's, and the characters.

Mom and Dad set up a tent for Ness and I a few yards back into the forest. It started to snow again the night before New Year's Eve. This time, the tiny flakes did not dissolve into the stony ground of the clearing. While Ness and Jacob slept—Jacob snoring so loudly I wondered how Ness didn't wake— I couldn't sleep at all.

Through the early morning, the others gathered. Soon after we all were together, we could hear the wolves moving in the woods. Jacob emerged from the tent, leaving Ness still sleeping, to join them. I could finally get some sleep.

I slept for only minutes, because when Ness woke up she woke me up. When we woke up, Mom helped us dress. Over our jackets Mom put on black leather backpacks, I wondered what they were for. Ness's eyes were huge as she read the agony on Mom's face. But she had guessed something, something I didn't know.

"I love you," Mom told us. "More than anything."

"I love you, too, Momma," Ness answered. She touched the locket at her neck, which now held a tiny photo of her, Dad, Mom, and me. I had the same photo. "We'll always be together." I didn't say anything, I _couldn't_ say anything. I was silently crying.

"In our hearts we'll always be together," Mom corrected in a whisper as quiet as a breath. "But when the time comes today, you have to leave me." More silent tears.

Ness's eyes widened, and she touched her hand to Mom's cheek.

"Will you do it for me? Please?" She begged.

"I can't tell you," Mom whispered-answering a question I hadn't heard. "But you'll understand soon. I promise."

Mom nodded, then pulled Ness's fingers away. "Don't think of it," Mom breathed into her ear. "Don't tell Jacob until I tell you to run, okay?"

Ness nodded, too. The silent tears still came as I wrapped my arms around Mom. I didn't want to let her go, I didn't want to let Dad go, I didn't want to let anybody go.

"Don't go," I whispered as quietly as possible. She hugged me tighter then she let me go. More and more silent tears.

Now Mom fastened a thick gold rope around her neck and an enormous diamond nestled into the hollow of her throat.

"Pretty," Ness whispered. Then she wrapped her arms around Mom's neck. Mom squeezed her against her chest. Interlocked this way, Mom carried her out of  
the tent and to the clearing. I was hugging her, burying my face in her legs to hide the fact that I was still crying.

Dad just put his arms tight around us all for one long moment and then, with a deep sigh, let us go. We took our place, Ness climbing agilely onto Mom's I jumped up to be on the other side of her back, we probably looked like monkeys. We stood a few feet behind the front line made up by Carlisle, Dad, Emmett, Rosalie, Tanya, Kate, and Eleazar. Close beside us were Benjamin and Zafrina.

Zafrina was rigid and fierce, with Senna almost a mirror image at her side. Benjamin sat on the ground, his palms pressed to the dirt, and muttered quietly about fault lines. Last night, he'd strewn piles of boulders in natural-looking, now snow-covered heaps all along the back of the meadow. They weren't enough to injure a vampire, but hopefully enough to distract one. The witnesses clustered to our left and right, some nearer than others—those who had declared themselves were the closest.

In the woods behind us, the invisible wolves were still and ready. The clouds rolled in, diffusing the light so that it could have been morning or afternoon. Dad's eyes tightened as he scrutinized the view. We only had minutes or seconds left now.

All our family and allies braced themselves. From the forest, the huge russet Alpha wolf came forward to stand at our side. Ness reached out to twine her fingers in the fur over his massive shoulder, and her body relaxed a little bit. She was calmer with Jacob close. Another minute ticked by. And then Dad stiffened and hissed low between his clenched teeth. His eyes focused on the forest due north of where we stood.

We stared where he did, and waited as the last seconds passed.

A/N OMG! Emotions! I got kind of emotional while writing this chapter because it's just so sad. I have a question, when this story ends, do you want me to do another story with both Lacey and Ness, but all grown up? Leave a review with your answer.


	14. Chapter 14

A/N Most of the dialogue is Stephenie Meyer's.

They came with pageantry. They came in a rigid, formal formation. They moved together, but it was not a march; they flowed in perfect synchronicity from the trees. The outer perimeter was gray; the color darkened with each line of bodies until the heart of the formation was deepest black. Every face was cowled, shadowed. At some sign I did not see the configuration folded outward. The gray-cloaked figures spread to the flanks while the darker forms surged precisely forward in the center, each movement closely controlled. Their progress was slow but deliberate, with no hurry, no tension, no anxiety. They showed no surprise or dismay at the collection of vampires that waited for them here—a collection that looked suddenly disorganized and unprepared in comparison. They showed no surprise at the giant wolf that stood in our midst.

"The redcoats are coming, the redcoats are coming," Garrett muttered mysteriously to himself and then chuckled once. He slid one step closer to Kate.

"They did come," Vladimir whispered to Stefan.

"The wives," Stefan hissed back. "The entire guard. All of them together. It's well we didn't try Volterra."

And then, as if their numbers were not enough, while the Volturi slowly and majestically advanced, more vampires began entering the clearing behind them.

Dad snarled.

"Alistair was right," he murmured to Carlisle.

"Alistair was right?" Tanya whispered.

"They—Caius and Aro—come to destroy and acquire," Dad breathed almost silently back; only our side could hear. "They have many layers of strategy already in place. If Irina's accusation had somehow proven to be false, they were committed to find another reason to take offense. But they can see Renesmee and Lacey now, so they are perfectly sanguine about their course. We could still attempt to defend against their other contrived charges, but first they have to stop, to hear the truth about Lacey and Renesmee." Then, even lower. "Which they have no intention of doing."

Jacob gave a strange little huff. And then, unexpectedly, two seconds later, the procession did halt. The flawless discipline remained unbroken; the Volturi froze into absolute stillness as one. They stood about a hundred yards away from us.

The wolves had joined us.

On either side of our uneven line, the wolves branched out in long, bordering arms. There were sixteen of them spaced evenly around us—seventeen total, counting Jacob.

Mom let out a low, fierce snarl. The corners of Mom's mouth were turned up in a smile. Beside us, Zafrina and Senna echoed her hushed growl.

"Edward?" Carlisle asked, low and anxious.

"They're not sure how to proceed. They're weighing options, choosing key targets—me, of course, you, Eleazar, Tanya. Marcus is reading the strength of our ties to each other, looking for weak points. The Romanians' presence irritates them. They're worried about the faces they don't recognize—Zafrina and Senna in particular—and the wolves, naturally. They've never been outnumbered before. That's what stopped them."

"Outnumbered?" Tanya whispered incredulously.

"They don't count their witnesses," Dad breathed. "They are nonentities, meaningless to the guard. Aro just enjoys an audience."

"Should I speak?" Carlisle asked.

Dad hesitated, then nodded. "This is the only chance you'll get."

Carlisle squared his shoulders and paced several steps ahead of our defensive line.

He spread his arms, holding his palms up as if in greeting. "Aro, my old friend. It's been centuries."

The white clearing was dead silent for a long moment.

And then Aro stepped forward out of the center of the Volturi formation. A few of the guard leaned forward into a crouch.

Aro held one hand up toward them. "Peace."

He walked just a few paces more, then cocked his head to one side.

"Fair words, Carlisle," he breathed in a thin, wispy voice. "They seem out of place, considering the army you've assembled to kill me, and to kill my dear ones."

Carlisle shook his head and stretched his right hand forward as if there were not still almost a hundred yards between them. "You have but to touch my hand to know that was never my intent."

Aro's shrewd eyes narrowed. "But how can your intent possibly matter, dear Carlisle, in the face of what you have done?" He frowned, and a shadow of  
sadness crossed his features.

"I have not committed the crime you are here to punish me for."

"Then step aside and let us punish those responsible. Truly, Carlisle, nothing would please me more than to preserve your life today."

"No one has broken the law, Aro. Let me explain." Again, Carlisle offered his hand.

Before Aro could answer, Caius drifted swiftly forward to Aro's side. "So many pointless rules, so many unnecessary laws you create for yourself, Carlisle," the white-haired ancient hissed. "How is it possible that you defend the breaking of one that truly matters?"

"The law is not broken. If you would listen—"

"We see the children, Carlisle," Caius snarled. "Do not treat us as fools." Evil person.

"They are not immortal. They are not vampires. I can easily prove this with just a few moments—"

Caius cut him off. "If they are not ones of the forbidden, then why have you massed a battalion to protect them?" Rude.

"Witnesses, Caius, just as you have brought." Carlisle gestured to the angry horde at the edge of the woods; some of them growled in response. "Any one of these friends can tell you the truth about the children. Or you could just look at them, Caius. See the flush of human blood in their cheeks."

"Artifice!" Caius snapped. Stupid. "Where is the informer? Let her come forward!" He craned his neck around until he spotted Irina. "You! Come!"

Irina stared at him uncomprehendingly. Impatiently, Caius snapped his fingers. One of the huge bodyguards moved to Irina's side and prodded her roughly in the back. Irina blinked twice and then walked slowly toward Caius in a daze. She stopped several yards short, her eyes still on her sisters. Caius closed the distance between them and slapped her across the face. It couldn't have hurt, but there was something terribly degrading about the action. It was like watching someone kick a dog. This was the villain of our story it seemed. Tanya and Kate hissed in synchronization. Irina's body went rigid and her eyes finally focused on Caius.

He pointed one clawed finger at us, where we clung to Mom's back, Ness's fingers were still tangled in Jacob's fur. A growl rumbled through Jacob's chest.

"These are the children you saw?" Caius demanded. "The ones that were obviously more than human?"

Irina peered at us, examining Ness and I for the first time since entering the clearing. Her head tilted to the side.

"Well?" Caius snarled.

"I… I'm not sure," she said, her tone perplexed.

"What do you mean?" he said in a steely whisper.

"They're not the same, but I think they are the same children. What I mean is, they've changed. These children are bigger than the ones I saw, but—"

Caius's furious gasp crackled through his suddenly bared teeth, and Irina broke off without finishing. Aro flitted to Caius's side and put a restraining hand on his shoulder.

"Be composed, brother. We have time to sort this out. No need to be hasty."

With a sullen expression, Caius turned his back on Irina.

"Now, sweetling," Aro said in a murmur. "Show me what you're trying to say." He held his hand out to the bewildered vampire.

Uncertainly, Irina took his hand. He held hers for only five seconds.

"You see, Caius?" he said. "It's a simple matter to get what we need."

Caius didn't answer him. From the corner of his eye, Aro glanced once at his audience, his mob, and then turned back to Carlisle.

"And so we have a mystery on our hands, it seems. It would appear the children have grown. Yet Irina's first memory was clearly that of immortal children. Curious."

"That's exactly what I'm trying to explain," Carlisle said.

Carlisle held out his hand again.

Aro hesitated for a moment. "I would rather have the explanation from someone more central to the story, my friend. Am I wrong to assume that this breach was not of your making?"

"There was no breach."

"Be that as it may, I will have every facet of the truth." Aro's voice hardened. "And the best way to get that is to have the evidence directly from your talented son." He inclined his head in Dad's direction. "As the children cling to his newborn mate, I'm assuming Edward is involved."

Dad turned to quickly kiss Mom's forehead Mine, and Ness's, not meeting our eyes. Then he strode across the snowy field, clapping Carlisle on the shoulder as  
he passed. I heard a low whimper from behind me. I was about to run after him.

I saw Jane smile as Dad crossed the midpoint in the distance between us, when he was closer to them than he was to us. I was very upset, I could tell that my mother was, too. I wanted to run over to that mean little girl and rip her face off.

Barely a second had passed. Dad was still walking to Aro. A startled laugh burst through Mom's lips. Dad stopped a few steps away from Aro, his chin came up arrogantly, and he held his hand out to Aro. Aro seemed only delighted with his attitude, but his delight was not universal. Caius's scowl was so deep it looked like his skin would crease permanently. Little Jane showed her teeth, and beside her Alec's eyes narrowed in concentration. Aro closed the distance without pause. With an untroubled smile, Aro took Dad's hand. His eyes snapped shut at once, and then his shoulders hunched under the onslaught of information.

Mom hissed with frustration.

"Easy, Bella," Zafrina whispered to Mom. Mom clenched her teeth together.

This two-way but unequal conversation continued long enough that even the guard grew uneasy. Low murmurs ran through the line until Caius barked a sharp order for silence. Aro straightened, his eyes flashing open, their expression awed and wary. He did not release Dad's hand. Dad's muscles loosened ever so slightly.

"You see?" Dad asked, his velvet voice calm.

"Yes, I see, indeed," Aro agreed. "I doubt whether any two among gods or mortals have ever seen quite so clearly."

"You have given me much to ponder, young friend," Aro continued. "Much more than I expected." Still he did not release Dad's hand. Dad didn't answer.

"May I meet them?" Aro asked—almost pleaded—with sudden eager interest. Of course not, I won't go over to meet you evil people. "I never dreamed of the existence of such a thing in all my centuries. What an addition to our histories!"

"What is this about, Aro?" Caius snapped before Dad could answer. Just the question had Mom pulling Ness an I around into her arms, cradling us protectively against her chest, one of us in each arm.

"Something you've never dreamed of, my practical friend. Take a moment to ponder, for the justice we intended to deliver no longer applies."

Caius hissed in surprise at his words.

"Peace, brother," Aro cautioned soothingly.

"Will you introduce me to your daughters?" Aro asked Dad again. No. Absolutely not.

Caius was not the only one who hissed at this new revelation. Dad nodded reluctantly.

Aro still gripped Dad's hand, and he now answered a question that the rest of us had not heard.

"I think a compromise on this one point is certainly acceptable, under the circumstance. We will meet in the middle." No!

Aro released his hand. Dad turned back toward us, and Aro joined him, throwing one arm casually over Dad's shoulder like they were the best of friends. They began to cross the field back to our side. The entire guard fell into step behind them. Aro raised a hand negligently without looking at them.

"Hold, my dear ones. Truly, they mean us no harm if we are peaceable."

"Master," the girl behind Aro whispered.

"Don't fret, my love," he responded. "All is well."

"Perhaps you should bring a few members of your guard with us," Dad suggested. "It will make them more comfortable."

Aro nodded as if this was a wise observation he should have thought of himself.

He snapped his fingers twice. "Felix, Demetri."

The two vampires were at his side instantaneously.

"Bella," Dad called. "Bring Renesmee and Lacey… and a few friends."

Mom took a deep breath. I jumped out of her arms and I was standing stubbornly. She grabbed my hand and pulled me onto her back.

"Jacob? Emmett?" Mom asked quietly. Both nodded. Emmett grinned.

We crossed the field with them flanking us.

"Interesting company you keep," Demetri murmured to Dad. Dad didn't respond, but a low growl slipped through Jacob's teeth. We stopped a few yards from Aro. Dad ducked under Aro's arm and quickly joined us, taking Mom's hand. For a moment they faced each other in silence. Then Felix greeted Mom.

"Hello again, Bella." He grinned cockily.

Mom smiled. "Hey, Felix."

Felix chuckled. "You look good. Immortality suits you."

"Thanks so much."

"You're welcome. It's too bad . . ." He let his comment trail off into silence.

"Yes, too bad, isn't it?" Mom murmured.

Felix winked.

Aro leaned his head to one side, fascinated.

"I hear their strange hearts," he murmured. "I smell their strange scent." Then his eyes shifted to Mom. "In truth, young Bella, immortality does become you most extraordinarily," he said. "It is as if you were designed for this life." Mom nodded once in acknowledgment of his flattery.

"You liked my gift?" he asked, eyeing the pendant Mom wore.

"It's beautiful, and very, very generous of you. Thank you. I probably should have sent a note."

Aro laughed delightedly. "It's just a little something I had lying around. I thought it might complement your new face, and so it does."

Aro cleared his throat. "May I greet your daughters, lovely Bella?" he asked sweetly. I looked at him, I probably didn't look very friendly right now.

Mom walked two slow steps forward. Aro met us, his face beaming.

"But she's exquisite," he murmured. "So like you and Edward." And then louder, "Hello, Renesmee." So he had noticed my unfriendly look.

Ness looked at Mom quickly. She nodded.

"Hello, Aro," she answered formally.

"What is it?" Caius hissed from behind.

"Half mortal, half immortal," Aro announced to him without turning his gaze from Ness. "Conceived so, and carried by this newborn while she was still human."

I hopped down from Mom's back and took a step forward. He seemed friendly enough. "Hello, Aro," I greeted him.

He looked at me and gave me a nod. "Lacey," then he looked back at Ness. Yup still not as friendly as I thought.

"Impossible," Caius scoffed. _He_ is still completely evil.

"Do you think they've fooled me, then, brother?" Aro's expression was greatly amused, but Caius flinched. "Is the heartbeat you hear a trickery as well?"

Caius scowled, looking as chagrined as if Aro's gentle questions had been blows.

"Calmly and carefully, brother," Aro cautioned, still smiling at Ness. "I know well how you love your justice, but there is no justice in acting against this unique little one for her parentage. And so much to learn, so much to learn! I know you don't have my enthusiasm for collecting histories, but be tolerant with me, brother, as I add a chapter that stuns me with its improbability. We came expecting only justice and the sadness of false friends, but look what we have gained instead! A new, bright knowledge of ourselves, our possibilities."

He held out his hand to Ness. She leaned away from Mom, stretching upward, to touch her fingertips to Aro's face.

His smile widened, and he sighed in satisfaction. "Brilliant," he whispered.

Ness relaxed back into Mom's arms, her face very serious.

"Please?" she asked him.

His smile turned gentle. "Of course I have no desire to harm your loved ones, precious Renesmee."

"I wonder," Aro said thoughtfully. His eyes moved unexpectedly to Jacob, and instead of the disgust the other Volturi viewed the giant wolf with.

"It doesn't work that way," Dad said, the careful neutrality gone from his suddenly harsh tone.

"Just an errant thought," Aro said, appraising Jacob openly, and then his eyes moved slowly across the two lines of werewolves behind us.

"They don't belong to us, Aro. They don't follow our commands that way. They're here because they want to be."

Jacob growled menacingly.

"They seem quite attached to you, though," Aro said. "And your young mate and your… family. Loyal."

"They're committed to protecting human life, Aro. That makes them able to coexist with us, but hardly with you. Unless you're rethinking your lifestyle."

Aro laughed merrily. "Just an errant thought," he repeated. "You well know how that is. We none of us can entirely control our subconscious desires."

Dad grimaced. "I do know how that is. And I also know the difference between that kind of thought and the kind with a purpose behind it. It could never work, Aro."

Jacob's head turned in Dad's direction, and a whine slipped from between his teeth.

"He's intrigued with the idea of… guard dogs," Dad murmured back.

There was one second of dead silence, and then the sound of the furious snarl ripping from the entire pack filled the giant clearing. There was a sharp bark of command, and the complaint broke off into quiet.

"I suppose that answers that question," Aro said, laughing again. "This lot has picked its side."

Dad hissed and leaned forward. Mom clutched at his arm, while Felix and Demetri slipped into crouches in synchronization. Aro waved them off again. They all returned to their former posture, Dad included.

"So much to discuss," Aro said. "So much to decide. If you and your furry protector will excuse me, my dear Cullens, I must confer with my brothers." I hugged Dad's legs and He picked me up.


	15. Chapter 15

A/N Most of the dialogue is Stephenie Meyer's. Along with most of the characters.

Aro waved the gaurd forward. Dad started backing up immediately, pulling Mom's arm and Emmett's. They hurried backward. Jacob retreated slowest, the fur on his shoulders standing straight up as he bared his fangs at Aro. Ness grabbed the end of his tail as we retreated; she held it like a leash, forcing him to stay with us. We reached our family at the same time that the dark cloaks surrounded Aro again. Caius began arguing with Aro at once.

"How can you abide this infamy? Why do we stand here impotently in the face of such an outrageous crime, covered by such a ridiculous deception?"

"Because it's all true," Aro told him calmly. "Every word of it. See how many witnesses stand ready to give evidence that they have seen these miraculous children grow and mature in just the short time they've known them. That they have felt the warmth of the blood that pulses in their veins." Aro's gesture swept from Amun on one side across to Siobhan on the other. Caius reacted oddly to Aro's soothing words, starting ever so slightly at the mention of witnesses. The anger drained from his features, replaced by a cold calculation. He glanced at the Volturi witnesses with an expression that looked vaguely… nervous. Caius was frowning, deep in thought.

Only a second had passed; Caius was still deliberating.

"The werewolves," he murmured at last.

"Ah, brother…," Aro answered Caius's statement with a pained look.

"Will you defend that alliance, too, Aro?" Caius demanded. "The Children of the Moon have been our bitter enemies from the dawn of time. We have hunted them to near extinction in Europe and Asia. Yet Carlisle encourages a familiar relationship with this enormous infestation—no doubt in an attempt to overthrow us. The better to protect his warped lifestyle."

Dad cleared his throat loudly and Caius glared at him. Aro placed one thin, delicate hand over his own face as if he was embarrassed for the other ancient.

"Caius, it's the middle of the day," Dad pointed out. He gestured to Jacob. "These are not Children of the Moon, clearly. They bear no relation to your enemies on the other side of the world."

"You breed mutants here," Caius spit back at him.

Dad's jaw clenched and unclenched, then he answered evenly, "They aren't even werewolves. Aro can tell you all about it if you don't believe me."

Aro said something that I did not hear.

"They know our secret," Caius said flatly.

Dad looked about to answer this accusation, but Aro spoke faster. "They are creatures of our supernatural world, brother. Perhaps even more dependent upon secrecy than we are; they can hardly expose us. Carefully, Caius. Specious allegations get us nowhere."

Caius took a deep breath and nodded.

"I want to talk to the informant," Caius announced abruptly, and turned his glare on Irina.

Irina wasn't paying attention to Caius and Aro's conversation; her face was twisted in agony, her eyes locked on her sisters, lined up to die. It was clear on her face that she knew now her accusation had been totally false. "Irina," Caius barked, unhappy to have to address her.

She looked up, startled and instantly afraid. Caius snapped his fingers. Hesitantly, she moved from the fringes of the Volturi formation to stand in front of Caius again.

"So you appear to have been quite mistaken in your allegations," Caius began. Tanya and Kate leaned forward anxiously.

"I'm sorry," Irina whispered. "I should have made sure of what I was seeing. But I had no idea. . . ." She gestured helplessly in our direction.

"Dear Caius, could you expect her to have guessed in an instant something so strange and impossible?" Aro asked. "Any of us would have made the same assumption."

Caius flicked his fingers at Aro to silence him. Evil.

"We all know you made a mistake," he said brusquely. "I meant to speak of your motivations."

Irina waited nervously for him to continue, and then repeated, "My motivations?"

"Yes, for coming to spy on them in the first place." Irina flinched at the word spy.

"You were unhappy with the Cullens, were you not?"

She turned her eyes to Carlisle's face. "I was," she admitted.

"Because… ?" Caius prompted.

"Because the werewolves killed my friend," she whispered. "And the Cullens wouldn't stand aside to let me avenge him."

"The shape-shifters," Aro corrected quietly.

"So the Cullens sided with the shape-shifters against our own kind—against the friend of a friend, even," Caius summarized.

Irina's shoulders stiffened. "That's how I saw it."

Caius waited again and then prompted, "If you'd like to make a formal complaint against the shape-shifters—and the Cullens for supporting their actions—now would be the time." He smiled a tiny cruel smile.

Irina's jaw jerked up, her shoulders squared. "No, I have no complaint against the wolves, or the Cullens. You came here today to destroy an immortal child. No immortal child exists. This was my mistake, and I take full responsibility for it. But the Cullens are innocent, and you have no reason to still be here. I'm so sorry," she said to us, and then she turned her face toward the Volturi witnesses. "There was no crime. There's no valid reason for you to continue here."

Caius raised his hand as she spoke, and in it was a strange metal object, carved and ornate. This was a signal. The response was so fast that we all stared in stunned disbelief while it happened. Before there was time to react, it was over.

Three of the Volturi soldiers leaped forward, and Irina was completely obscured by their gray cloaks. In the same instant, a horrible metallic screeching ripped through the clearing. Caius slithered into the center of the gray melee, and the shocking squealing sound exploded into a startling upward shower of sparks and  
tongues of flame. The soldiers leaped back from the sudden inferno, immediately retaking their places in the guard's perfectly straight line.

Caius stood alone beside the blazing remains of Irina, the metal object in his hand still throwing a thick jet of flame into the pyre. With a small clicking sound, the fire shooting from Caius's hand disappeared. A gasp rippled through the mass of witnesses behind the Volturi. We were too aghast to make any noise at all. It was one thing to know that death was coming with fierce, unstoppable speed; it was another thing to watch it happen. Evil, mean, terrible, heartless, cruel. I was ticking down the list of all the things that I wanted to call him.

Caius smiled coldly. "Now she has taken full responsibility for her actions."

His eyes flashed to our front line, touching swiftly on Tanya's and Kate's frozen forms. Oh no. Kate. Tanya. Irina's sisters. This can only end badly.

"Stop them!" Dad cried out, jumping to grab Tanya's arm as she lurched forward toward the smiling Caius with a maddened cry of pure rage. She couldn't shake Dad off before Carlisle had his arms locked around her waist.

"It's too late to help her," he reasoned urgently as she struggled. "Don't give him what he wants!"

Kate was harder to contain. Shrieking wordlessly like Tanya, she broke into the first stride of the attack that would end with everyone's death. Rosalie was closest  
to her, but before Rose could clinch her in a headlock, Kate shocked her so violently that Rose crumpled to the ground. Emmett caught Kate's arm and threw her down, then staggered back, his knees giving out. Kate rolled to her feet, and it looked like no one could stop her. Garrett flung himself at her, knocking her to the ground again. He bound his arms around hers, locking his hands around his own wrists. I saw his body spasm as she shocked him. His eyes rolled back in his head, but his hold did not break. I wanted to run up and tell her to stop.

"Zafrina," Dad shouted. Kate's eyes went blank and her screams turned to moans. Tanya stopped struggling.

"Give me my sight back," Tanya hissed.

And then Garrett was in command of himself again, holding Kate to the snow.

"If I let you up, will you knock me down again, Katie?" he whispered. She snarled in response, still thrashing blindly.

"Listen to me, Tanya, Kate," Carlisle said in a low but intense whisper. "Vengeance doesn't help her now. Irina wouldn't want you to waste your lives this way. Think about what you're doing. If you attack them, we all die."

Tanya's shoulders hunched with grief, and she leaned into Carlisle for support. Kate was finally still. Carlisle and Garrett continued to console the sisters with words too urgent to sound like comfort. The heaviest glare came from Caius, staring with enraged disbelief at Kate and Garrett in the snow. Aro was watching the same two, incredulity the strongest emotion on his face.

The Volturi guard no longer stood at disciplined attention—they were crouched forward, waiting to spring the counterstrike the moment we attacked. Behind them, forty-three witnesses watched with very different expressions than the ones they'd worn entering the clearing. Confusion had turned to suspicion. The lightning-fast destruction of Irina had shaken them all. What had been her crime?

Aro touched Caius's shoulder lightly. "Irina has been punished for bearing false witness against this child." So that was to be their excuse. He went on. "Perhaps we should return to the matter at hand?"

Caius straightened, and his expression hardened into unreadability. He stared forward, seeing nothing.

Aro drifted forward, Renata, Felix, and Demetri automatically moving with him.

"Just to be thorough," he said, "I'd like to speak with a few of your witnesses. Procedure, you know." He waved a hand dismissively.

Two things happened at once. Caius's eyes focused on Aro, and the tiny cruel smile came back. And Dad hissed. He looked like he would've hurt someone if he wasn't holding me.

I saw Carlisle glance anxiously at Dad's face, and then his own face hardened. While Caius had blundered through useless accusations and injudicious attempt to trigger the fight, Aro must have been coming up with a more effective strategy. Aro ghosted across the snow to the far western end of our line, stopping about ten  
yards from Amun and Kebi. The nearby wolves bristled angrily but held their positions.

"Ah, Amun, my southern neighbor!" Aro said warmly. "It has been so long since you've visited me."

Amun was motionless with anxiety, Kebi a statue at his side. "Time means little; I never notice its passing," Amun said through unmoving lips.

"So true," Aro agreed. "But maybe you had another reason to stay away?"

Amun said nothing.

"It can be terribly time-consuming to organize newcomers into a coven. I know that well! I'm grateful I have others to deal with the tedium. I'm glad your new additions have fit in so well. I would have loved to have been introduced. I'm sure you were meaning to come to see me soon."

"Of course," Amun said, his tone so emotionless that it was impossible to tell if there was any fear or sarcasm in his assent.

"Oh well, we're all together now! Isn't it lovely?"

Amun nodded, his face blank.

"But the reason for your presence here is not as pleasant, unfortunately. Carlisle called on you to witness?"

"Yes."

"And what did you witness for him?"

Amun spoke with the same cold lack of emotion. "I've observed the children in question. It was evident almost immediately that they were not immortal children—"

"Perhaps we should define our terminology," Aro interrupted, "now that there seem to be new classifications. By immortal child, you mean of course a human child who had been bitten and thus transformed into a vampire."

"Yes, that's what I meant."

"What else did you observe about the children?"

"The same things that you surely saw in Edward's mind. That the children are his biologically. That they grow. That they learn."

"Yes, yes," Aro said, a hint of impatience in his otherwise amiable tone. "But specifically in your few weeks here, what did you see?"

Amun's brow furrowed. "That they grow… quickly."

Aro smiled. "And do you believe that they should be allowed to live?"

Half the vampires in our line echoed a hiss in protest. The sound was a low sizzle of fury hanging in the air. Across the meadow, a few of the Volturi witnesses made the same noise. Dad stepped back and wrapped a restraining hand around Mom's wrist.

Aro did not turn to the noise, but Amun glanced around uneasily. "I did not come to make judgments," he equivocated.

Aro laughed lightly. "Just your opinion."

Amun's chin lifted. "I see no danger in the children. They learn even more swiftly than they grow."

Aro nodded, considering. After a moment, he turned away.

"Aro?" Amun called.

Aro whirled back. "Yes, friend?"

"I gave my witness. I have no more business here. My mate and I would like to take our leave now."

Aro smiled warmly. "Of course. I'm so glad we were able to chat for a bit. And I'm sure we'll see each other again soon."

Amun's lips were a tight line as he inclined his head once. He touched Kebi's arm, and then the two of them ran quickly to the southern edge of the meadow and disappeared into the trees.

Aro was gliding back along the length of our line to the east, his guards hovering tensely.

He stopped when he was in front of Siobhan's massive form. "Hello, dear Siobhan. You are as lovely as ever."

Siobhan inclined her head, waiting.

"And you?" he asked. "Would you answer my questions the same way Amun has?"

"I would," Siobhan said. "But I would perhaps add a little more. They understand the limitations. They're no danger to humans—they blend in better than we do. The pose no threat of exposure."

"Can you think of none?" Aro asked soberly.

Dad growled.

Garrett freed Kate to take a step forward, ignoring Kate's hand as she tried to caution him this time.

Siobhan answered slowly, "I don't think I follow you."

Aro drifted lightly back, casually, but toward the rest of his guard.

"There is no broken law," Aro said in a placating voice.

"No broken law," Aro repeated. "However, does it follow then that there is no danger? No." He shook his head gently. "That is a separate issue."

The only response was the tightening of already stretched nerves, and Maggie, at the fringes of our band of fighters, shaking her head with slow anger. Aro paced thoughtfully, looking as if he floated rather than touched the ground with his feet. I noticed every pass took him closer to the protection of his guard.

"They are unique… utterly, impossibly unique. Such a waste it would be, to destroy something so lovely. Especially when we could learn so much . . ." He sighed, as if  
unwilling to go on. "But there is danger, danger that cannot simply be ignored."

No one answered his assertion. It was dead silent as he continued in a monologue that sounded as if he spoke it for himself only.

"How ironic it is that as the humans advance, as their faith in science grows and controls their world, the more free we are from discovery. Yet, as we become ever  
more uninhibited by their disbelief in the supernatural, they become strong enough in their technologies that, if they wished, they could actually pose a threat to us, even destroy some of us.  
"For thousands and thousands of years, our secrecy has been more a matter of convenience, of ease, than of actual safety. This last raw, angry century has given  
birth to weapons of such power that they endanger even immortals. Now our status as mere myth in truth protects us from these weak creatures we hunt.  
"These amazing children"—he lifted his hand palm down as if to rest it on Ness, though he was forty yards from us now, almost within the Volturi formation again—"if we could but know her potential—know with absolute certainty that she could always remain shrouded within the obscurity that protects us. But we know nothing of what she will become! Her own parents are plagued by fears of her future. We cannot know what she will grow to be." He paused, looking first at our witnesses, and then, meaningfully, at his own.

Still looking at his own witnesses, he spoke again. "Only the known is safe. Only the known is tolerable. The unknown is… a vulnerability."

Caius's smile widened viciously.

"You're reaching, Aro," Carlisle said in a bleak voice.

"Peace, friend." Aro smiled, his face as kind, his voice as gentle, as ever. "Let us not be hasty. Let us look at this from every side."

"May I offer a side to be considered?" Garrett petitioned in a level tone, taking another step forward. I liked Garrett, this ought to be good.

"Nomad," Aro said, nodding in permission.

Garrett's chin lifted. His eyes focused on the huddled mass at the end of the meadow, and he spoke directly to the Volturi witnesses.

"I came here at Carlisle's request, as the others, to witness," he said. "That is certainly no longer necessary, with regard to the children. We all see what they are.  
"I stayed to witness something else. You." He jabbed his finger toward the wary vampires. "Two of you I know—Makenna, Charles—and I can see that many of you others are also wanderers, roamers like myself. Answering to none. Think carefully on what I tell you now.  
"These ancient ones did _not_ come here for justice as they told you. We suspected as much, and now it has been proved. They came, misled, but with a valid excuse  
for their action. Witness now as they seek flimsy excuses to continue their true mission. Witness them struggle to find a justification for their true purpose—to destroy this family here." He gestured toward Carlisle and Tanya.

"The Volturi come to erase what they perceive as the competition. Perhaps, like me, you look at this clan's golden eyes and marvel. They are difficult to understand, it's true. But the ancient ones look and see something besides their strange choice. They see power.  
"I have witnessed the bonds within this family—I say family and not coven. These strange golden-eyed ones deny their very natures. But in return have they found  
something worth even more, perhaps, than mere gratification of desire? I've made a little study of them in my time here, and it seems to me that intrinsic to this intense family binding—that which makes them possible at all—is the peaceful character of this life of sacrifice. There is no aggression here like we all saw in the large southern clans that grew and diminished so quickly in their wild feuds. There is no thought for domination. And Aro knows this better than I do."

"Carlisle assured us all, when he told us what was coming, that he did not call us here to fight. These witnesses"—Garrett pointed to Siobhan and Liam—"agreed to  
give evidence, to slow the Volturi advance with their presence so that Carlisle would get the chance to present his case.  
"But some of us wondered"—his eyes flashed to Eleazar's face—"if Carlisle having truth on his side would be enough to stop the so-called justice. Are the Volturi here to protect the safety of our secrecy, or to protect their own power? Did they come to destroy an illegal creation, or a way of life? Could they be satisfied when the danger turned out to be no more than a misunderstanding? Or would they push the issue without the excuse of justice?  
"We have the answer to all these questions. We heard it in Aro's lying words—we have one with a gift of knowing such things for certain—and we see it now in Caius's eager smile. Their guard is just a mindless weapon, a tool in their masters quest for domination.  
"So now there are more questions, questions that you must answer. Who rules you, nomads? Do you answer to someone's will besides your own? Are you free to  
choose your path, or will the Volturi decide how you will live?  
"I came to witness. I stay to fight. The Volturi care nothing for the death of the children. They seek the death of our free will." He turned, then, to face the ancients. "So come, I say! Let's hear no more lying rationalizations. Be honest in your intents as we will be honest in ours. We will defend our freedom. You will or will not attack it. Choose now, and let these witnesses see the true issue debated here." Preach Garrett.

Once more he looked to the Volturi witnesses, his eyes probing each face. The power of his words was evident in their expressions. "You might consider joining us. If you think the Volturi will let you live to tell this tale, you are mistaken. We may all be destroyed"—he shrugged—"but then again, maybe not. Perhaps we are on more equal footing than they know. Perhaps the Volturi have finally met their match. I promise you this, though—if we fall, so do you."

He ended his heated speech by stepping back to Kate's side and then sliding forward in a half-crouch, prepared for the onslaught.

Aro smiled. "A very pretty speech, my revolutionary friend."

Garrett remained poised for attack. "Revolutionary?" he growled. "Who am I revolting against, might I ask? Are you my king? Do you wish me to call you master, too, like your sycophantic guard?"

"Peace, Garrett," Aro said tolerantly. "I meant only to refer to your time of birth. Still a patriot, I see."

Garrett glared back furiously.

"Let us ask our witnesses," Aro suggested. "Let us hear their thoughts before we make our decision. Tell us, friends"—and he turned his back casually on us, moving a few yards toward his mass of nervous observers hovering even closer now to the edge of the forest—"what do you think of all this? I can assure you the children are not what we feared. Do we take the risk and let the children live? Do we put our world in jeopardy to preserve their family intact? Or does earnest Garrett have the right of it? Will you join them in a fight against our sudden quest for dominion?"

The witnesses met his gaze. One, a small black-haired woman, looked briefly at the dark blond male at her side.

"Are those our only choices?" she asked suddenly, gaze flashing back to Aro.

"Agree with you, or fight against you?"

"Of course not, most charming Makenna," Aro said, appearing horrified that anyone could come to that conclusion. "You may go in peace, of course, as Amun did, even if you disagree with the council's decision."

"We did not come here for a fight." She paused, exhaled, then said, "We came here to witness. And our witness is that this condemned family is innocent.  
Everything that Garrett claimed is the truth."

"Ah," Aro said sadly. "I'm sorry you see us in that way. But such is the nature of our work."

"It is not what I see, but what I feel," Makenna's maize-haired mate spoke in a high, nervous voice. He glanced at Garrett. "Garrett said they have ways of knowing lies. I, too, know when I am hearing the truth, and when I am not." He moved closer to his mate, waiting for Aro's reaction.

"Do not fear us, friend Charles. No doubt the patriot truly believes what he says," Aro chuckled lightly.

"That is our witness," Makenna said. "We're leaving now."

She and Charles backed away slowly, not turning before they were lost from view in the trees. One other stranger began to retreat the same way, then three more  
darted after him.

Aro turned away, walking back to his guard with a measured pace. He stopped in front of them and addressed them.

"We are outnumbered, dearest ones," he said. "We can expect no outside help. Should we leave this question undecided to save ourselves?"

"No, master," they whispered in unison. Ugh.

"Is the protection of our world worth perhaps the loss of some of our number?"

"Yes," they breathed. "We are not afraid." Ugh, these people are brain-washed.

Aro smiled and turned to his companions.

"Brothers," Aro said somberly, "there is much to consider here."

"Let us counsel," Caius said eagerly.

"Let us counsel," Marcus repeated in an uninterested tone.

Aro turned his back to us again, facing the other ancients. They joined hands to form a black triangle. As soon as Aro's attention was engaged in the silent counsel, two more of their witnesses disappeared silently into the forest.

"You remember what I told you?" Mom was talking to Ness and I.

Tears welled in Ness's eyes, but she nodded. "I love you," she whispered. The silent tears were back.

Dad was watching us now, his eyes wide. Jacob stared at us from the corner of his big dark eye.

"I love you, too," Mom said, and then she touched her locket. "More than my own life." Mom kissed Ness's forehead. I reached over to her and she pulled me into her arms to hug me. More and more silent tears.

Jacob whined uneasily. Mom leaned down and whispered something that I didn't hear. I was too busy trying to stop crying. The worst thing ever was having to leave your entire family. I closed my eyes, wanting to believe that this was all just a bad dream, and that I would open my eyes and everything would be fine. But no. When I opened my eyes everything was the same.

Ness reached for Dad, and he took her in his arms. They hugged each other tightly. My silent tears just kept flowing. Mom and Dad must have been having a conversation because through all of my tears I saw Mom nod.

Dad kissed Ness's forehead and both her cheeks, then he lifted her to Jacob's shoulder. Mom placed me behind her. More tears.

I still wished it were a dream.


	16. Chapter 16

A/N Most of the dialogue and characters are Stephenie Meyer's.

"Chelsea is trying to break our bindings," Dad whispered. "But she can't find them. She can't feel us here. . . ." His eyes cut to Mom. "Are you doing that?"

Mom smiled grimly at him. "I am all over this."

Dad lurched away, his hand reaching out toward Carlisle.

"Carlisle? Are you all right?" Dad gasped.

"Yes. Why?"

"Jane," Dad answered.

"Incredible," Dad said.

"Why aren't they waiting for the decision?" Tanya hissed.

"Normal procedure," Dad answered. "They usually incapacitate those on trial so they can't escape."

I was still crying.

Jane let out a high-pitched scream of a snarl. Everyone jumped. Her twin caught her arm as she crouched.

The Romanians started chuckling with dark anticipation.

"I told you this was our time," Vladimir said to Stefan.

"Just look at the witch's face," Stefan chortled.

Alec patted his sister's shoulder soothingly, then tucked her under his arm.

"Are you okay?" Mom choked out.

"Yes," Dad whispered.

"Is Alec trying?"

Dad nodded. "His gift is slower than Jane's. It creeps. It will touch us in a few seconds."

A low rumbling murmured through the ground under our feet, and a gust of wind blew the snow into sudden flurries between our position and the Volturi's.

The triangular formation of the ancients finally broke apart when, with a racking groan, a deep, narrow fissure opened in a long zigzag across the middle of the  
clearing. The drifts of snow plummeted into the hole. The silent tears were finally gone.

Aro and Caius watched the opening earth with wide eyes. Marcus looked in the same direction. They didn't speak; they waited. The wind shrieked louder. Jane was smiling now.

There were gasps on both sides of Benjamin's gorge.

"Well done, Bella!" Benjamin cheered in a low voice.

Mom smiled.

"I'm going to have to concentrate," Mom whispered to Dad. "When it comes to hand to hand, it's going to be harder to keep the shield around the right people."

"I'll keep them off you."

"No. You have to get to Demetri. Zafrina will keep them away from me."

Zafrina nodded solemnly. "No one will touch this young one," she promised Dad.

"I'd go after Jane and Alec myself, but I can do more good here."

"Jane's mine," Kate hissed. "She needs a taste of her own medicine."

"And Alec owes me many lives, but I will settle for his," Vladimir growled from the other side. "He's mine."

"I just want Caius," Tanya said evenly.

The others started divvying up opponents, too, but they were quickly interrupted.

Aro, finally spoke.

"Before we vote," he began.

"Let me remind you," Aro continued, "whatever the council's decision, there need be no violence here."

Dad snarled out a dark laugh.

Aro stared at him sadly. "It will be a regrettable waste to our kind to lose any of you. But you especially, young Edward, and your newborn mate. The Volturi would be glad to welcome many of you into our ranks. Bella, Benjamin, Zafrina, Kate. There are many choices before you. Consider them."

"Let us vote, then," he said with apparent reluctance.

Caius spoke with eager haste. "The children are an unknown quantity. There is no reason to allow such a risk to exist. They must be destroyed, along with all who protect them." He smiled.

Marcus lifted his uncaring eyes. "I see no immediate danger. The children are safe enough for now. We can always reevaluate later. Let us leave in peace." This one was my favorite of the three.

None of the guard relaxed their ready positions at his disagreeing words.

"I must make the deciding vote, it seems," Aro mused.

"Yes!" Dad hissed.

There was a low reaction from the guard, an uneasy murmur.

"Aro?" Dad called, nearly shouted.

Aro hesitated for a second.

"Yes, Edward? You have something further… ?"

"Perhaps," Dad said pleasantly, controlling his unexplained excitement. "First, if I could clarify one point?"

"Certainly," Aro said, raising his eyebrows.

"The danger you foresee from my daughters—this stems entirely from our inability to guess how they will develop? That is the crux of the matter?"

"Yes, friend Edward," Aro agreed. "If we could but be positive… be sure that, as they grow, they will be able to stay concealed from the human world—not endanger the safety of our obscurity . . ." He trailed off, shrugging.

"So, if we could only know for sure," Dad suggested, "exactly what they will become… then there would be no need for a council at all?"

"If there was some way to be absolutely sure," Aro agreed, his voice slightly more shrill. "Then, yes, there would be no question to debate."

"And we would part in peace, good friends once again?" Dad asked.

Even more shrill. "Of course, my young friend. Nothing would please me more."

Dad chuckled. "Then I do have something more to offer."

Aro's eyes narrowed. "They are absolutely unique. Their future can only be guessed at."

"Not absolutely unique," Dad disagreed. "Rare, certainly, but not one of a kind."

"Aro, would you ask Jane to stop attacking my wife?" Dad asked. "We are still discussing evidence."

Aro raised one hand. "Peace, dear ones. Let us hear him out."

"Why don't you join us, Alice?" Dad called loudly. Alice? Alice. Alice!

"Alice," Esme whispered in shock.

Alice! Alice! Alice! Alice!

"Alice!" "Alice!" other voices murmured around us.

"Alice," Aro breathed.

Then Alice danced into the clearing from the southwest. Alice! Happiness replaced the sadness I previously felt. Jasper was only inches behind her, his eyes fierce. Close after them ran three strangers; the first was a tall, muscular female with wild dark hair—obviously Kachiri. She had the same elongated limbs and features as the other Amazons, even more pronounced in her case.

The next was a small olive-toned female vampire with a long braid of black hair bobbing against her back. Her deep burgundy eyes flitted nervously around the  
confrontation before her.

And the last was a young man… not quite as fast nor quite as fluid in his run. His skin was an impossible rich, dark brown. His wary eyes flashed across the gathering. His hair was black and braided, too, like the woman's, though not as long.

As he neared us, a new sound sent shock waves through the watching crowd—the sound of another heartbeat, accelerated with exertion. Alice leaped lightly over the edges of a mist and came to a sinuous stop at Dad's side. Mom reached out to touch her arm, and so did Dad, Esme, Carlisle. There wasn't time for any other welcome. Jasper and the others followed her.

"Alice has been searching for her own witnesses these last weeks," Dad said to Aro. "And she does not come back empty-handed. Alice, why don't you introduce the witnesses you've brought?"

Caius snarled. "The time for witnesses is past! Cast your vote, Aro!"

Aro raised one finger to silence his brother, his eyes glued to Alice's face.

Alice stepped forward lightly and introduced the strangers. "This is Huilen and her nephew, Nahuel."

Hearing her voice… it was like she'd never left. Alice was really here. Now I was kind of glad that this wasn't a dream.

Caius's eyes tightened as Alice named the relationship between the newcomers.

"Speak, Huilen," Aro commanded. "Give us the witness you were brought to bear."

The slight woman looked to Alice. Alice nodded in encouragement, and Kachiri put her long hand on the little vampire's shoulder.

"I am Huilen," the woman announced in clear but strangely accented English. "A century and a half ago, I lived with my people, the Mapuche. My sister was Pire. Our parents named her after the snow on the mountains because of her fair skin. And she was very beautiful—too beautiful. She came to me one day in secret and told me of the angel that found her in the woods, that visited her by night. I warned her." Huilen shook her head mournfully. "As if the bruises on her skin were not warning enough. I knew it was the Libishomen of our legends, but she would not listen. She was bewitched.  
"She told me when she was sure her dark angel's child was growing inside her. I didn't try to discourage her from her plan to run away—I knew even our father and mother would agree that the child must be destroyed, Pire with it. I went with her into the deepest parts of the forest. She searched for her demon angel but found nothing. I cared for her, hunted for her when her strength failed. She ate the animals raw, drinking their blood. I needed no more confirmation of what she carried in her womb. I hoped to save her life before I killed the monster.  
"But she loved the child inside her. She called him Nahuel, after the jungle cat, when he grew strong and broke her bones—and loved him still.  
"I could not save her. The child ripped his way free of her, and she died quickly, begging all the while that I would care for her Nahuel. Her dying wish—and I agreed.  
"He bit me, though, when I tried to lift him from her body. I crawled away into the jungle to die. I didn't get far—the pain was too much. But he found me; the  
newborn child struggled through the underbrush to my side and waited for me. When the pain ended, he was curled against my side, sleeping.  
"I cared for him until he was able to hunt for himself. We hunted the villages around our forest, staying to ourselves. We have never come so far from our home, but Nahuel wished to see the children here."

Huilen bowed her head when she was finished and moved back so she was partially hidden behind Kachiri. Aro's lips were pursed. He stared at the dark-skinned youth.

"Nahuel, you are one hundred and fifty years old?" he questioned.

"Give or take a decade," he answered in a clear voice. His accent was barely noticeable. "We don't keep track."

"And you reached maturity at what age?"

"About seven years after my birth, more or less, I was full grown."

"You have not changed since then?"

Nahuel shrugged. "Not that I've noticed."

I felt a shudder tremble through Jacob's body. Seven years?

"And your diet?" Aro pressed.

"Mostly blood, but some human food, too. I can survive on either."

"You were able to create an immortal?" Aro gestured to Huilen.

"Yes, but none of the rest can."

Aro's eyebrows shot up. "The rest?"

"My sisters." Nahuel shrugged again.

"Perhaps you would tell us the rest of your story, for there seems to be more."

Nahuel frowned. "My father came looking for me a few years after my mother's death." His face distorted slightly. "He was pleased to find me."

"He had two daughters, but no sons. He expected me to join him, as my sisters had.  
"He was surprised I was not alone. My sisters are not venomous, but whether that's due to gender or a random chance… who knows? I already had my family with Huilen, and I was not interested in making a change. I see him from time to time. I have a new sister; she reached maturity about ten years back."

"Your father's name?" Caius asked through gritted teeth.

"Joham," Nahuel answered. "He considers himself a scientist. He thinks he's creating a new super-race."

Caius looked at Mom. "Your daughters, are they venomous?" he demanded harshly.

"No," Mom responded.

Caius growled. "We take care of the aberration here, and then follow it south," he urged Aro.

"Brother," Aro said softly to Caius. "There appears to be no danger. This is an unusual development, but I see no threat. These half-vampire children are much like us, it appears."

"Is that your vote?" Caius demanded.

"It is."

Caius scowled. "And this Joham? This immortal so fond of experimentation?"

"Perhaps we should speak with him," Aro agreed.

"Stop Joham if you will," Nahuel said flatly. "But leave my sisters be. They are innocent."

Aro nodded, his expression solemn. And then he turned back to his guard with a smile.

"Dear ones," he called. "We do not fight today."

The guard nodded in unison and straightened out of their ready positions.

They were in formation, ready to depart. The Volturi witnesses were still wary; one after another, they departed, scattering into the woods. As their numbers dwindled, the remaining sped up. Soon they were all gone.

Aro held his hands out to us, almost apologetic. Behind him, the larger part of the guard, along with Caius, and Marcus, were already drifting quickly away, their formation precise once again. Only the three that seemed to be his personal guardians lingered with him.

"I'm so glad this could be resolved without violence," he said sweetly. "My friend, Carlisle—how pleased I am to call you friend again! I hope there are no hard  
feelings. I know you understand the strict burden that our duty places on our shoulders."

"Leave in peace, Aro," Carlisle said stiffly. "Please remember that we still have our anonymity to protect here, and keep your guard from hunting in this region."

"Of course, Carlisle," Aro assured him. "I am sorry to earn your disapproval, my dear friend. Perhaps, in time, you will forgive me."

"Perhaps, in time, if you prove a friend to us again."

Aro bowed his head, and drifted backward for a moment before he turned around. We watched in silence as the last four Volturi disappeared into the trees.

It was really quiet.

"Is it really over?" Mom whispered to Dad.

His smile was huge. "Yes. They've given up. Like all bullies, they're cowards underneath the swagger." He chuckled.

Alice laughed with him. "Seriously, people. They're not coming back. Everybody can relax now."

There was another beat of silence.

"Of all the rotten luck," Stefan muttered.

And then it hit.

Cheers erupted. Deafening howls filled the clearing. Maggie pounded Siobhan on the back. Rosalie and Emmett kissed. Benjamin and Tia were locked in each other's arms, as were Carmen and Eleazar. Esme held Alice and Jasper in a tight embrace. Carlisle was warmly thanking the South American newcomers who had saved us all. Kachiri stood very close to Zafrina and Senna, their fingertips interlocked. Garrett picked Kate up off the ground and swung her around in a circle. Stefan spit on the snow. Vladimir ground his teeth together with a sour expression.

And Mom half-climbed the giant russet wolf to rip us off his back and then crushed us to her chest. Dad's arms were around us in the same second.

"Nessie, Lacey, Nessie, Lacey," Mom crooned.

Jacob laughed his big, barky laugh and poked the back of Mom's head with his nose.

"Shut up," Mom mumbled.

"I get to stay with you?" Ness demanded.

"Forever," Mom promised her.

We had forever. It was over. It. Was. Over!

I hugged Mom, I hugged Ness, I jumped out of Mom's arms to run over and hug Alice.

The silent tears now were tears of joy.

A/N So that's the end of this story. I still need to know if you want me to continue this story with another story. Leave a review with your opinion, please.


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